


Bother Me, Tell Me Awful Things

by Dopecarmilla



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Medium Burn, because shes a huge lesbian, goth lena, is that a trope?, jock kara, kara plays field hockey, lab partners to lovers, lena is shy and kara is kind of obsessed with her, lena is still coming to terms with the fact shes a huge lesbian, maybe smut in the future, not full harriet but my girl rocks the black
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-02-10 03:47:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12903318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dopecarmilla/pseuds/Dopecarmilla
Summary: It’s Lena’s first semester at New Midvale University and she planned on keeping to herself and just getting her work done like she had her entire life. That is until she’s forced to become lab partners with the most annoyingly beautiful girl she had ever seen. Kara is the star forward of the field hockey team and beloved by all, except apparently Lena and Kara plans on changing that.





	1. The Sun & Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Shoutout to hashtagyourshirt for being my beta on this, not sure I would've had the guts to post it otherwise!

The first time Lena sees the sun she’s already sketching the real one as it rises over the mountains overlooking the field. She sat alone at the top of the bleachers, basking in the peace of the morning as light began to wash over the mountainous scenery before her. Not for the first time she wonders why any school would choose orange and blue as their colors, she ignores the hideous palette on the field below and elects to draw only the colors of the leaves changing on their trees and the rock formations they were at home upon. For the first time since arriving at New Midvale University she was completely at ease. 

Well she was. Until BANG! The sound of a car backfiring startles her so badly her pencil digs into the paper creating an unsightly mark in the top right corner. She looks up in time to see the offending car screech to a stop in the parking lot next to the field. It was a dingy old red four door sedan that appeared to be from the mid-nineties. Lena furrows her brow, she hated to be a snob but there was no way that old thing was fit to be on the road, she wasn’t a mechanic but bangs and screeches didn’t seem like a good thing. She waits to see what idiot interrupted her quiet morning.

“Damnit Danvers! I told you practice wasn’t for another half hour, we even beat Coach Moors here! I could still be asleep if you weren’t so neurotic.” The car door slams as a disgruntled white haired girl climbs out, fumbling to light a cigarette.

“Oh stuff it Leslie, if it wasn’t for us you’d never be anywhere on time. “ Says the slim girl who climbs out after her.

“Hah! Lucy’s right you know, your kind of a human disaster.” The tall girl who climbs out of the passenger seat says with a smile as Leslie glowers at them both.

Lena is already shocked at the appearance of three of the most attractive women she’s ever seen until the driver of the car finally kills the engine and gets out. Lena was already squinting since the sun was getting steadily higher over the mountain top but she suddenly feels blinded by golden hair and blue eyes. Her gaze, that was only moments before irritated and accusatory softens in awe of the goddess standing only meters away from her.

“Sam be nice! I know I made you all get up crazy early but now we can get a head start on stretches! This year is gonna be our year guys, I can just feel it! AWOOO!” The blonde yells with the most infectious enthusiasm. So much so that all the other girls grin and they respond, “AWOOOO!”

Their cries echo out across the field and into the valley separating the campus from the mountains.

Lena is startled out of her trance by all the noise and knocks her sketchbook onto the metal of the bleacher with a crash.

All four girls immediately look up at the noise and see Lena fumbling with her bag while trying to pick up the book and salvage her already ruined sketch, she feels a blush rise on her pale cheeks as she ignores the questioning looks they were sending her way. Quickly the girls lose interest in her and begin pulling bags and field hockey sticks from the trunk of the shitty red car. All but the girl with the cascading blonde hair, who is still stealing glances at the top of the bleachers as she pulls her curls up into a high ponytail.

Lena only looks up when she finishes gathering her things and makes eye contact with the sunny girl for a few seconds before turning to exit the bleachers on the far side. She still had a few hours until her first class of the semester, she was already halfway through the textbook but maybe she could get another chapter in beforehand. Anything to occupy her mind. The sun was too bright this morning and Lena burned easily.

———————————————————————————————

Two and a half hours later Lena was the first to her Intro to Physics Class, she chose a lab bench in the back right corner. She wasn’t religious to say the least but every time someone walked in she silently prayed that they would sit as far away from her as possible. The room steadily filled up and Lena got more anxious with each new student. 

She focused her gaze on her desk only glancing up when two students elected to sit right in front of her, even though there were plenty other seats further up. One was a slim guy with a button up and cardigan and the other was at least 6 feet tall, black and bald. Their hands brushed a few more times than seemed entirely necessary and it was almost like they didn’t realize Lena was sitting right behind them. That was fine, Lena was used to being ignored.

With only a minute left until class started Lena finally looked up to see that every seat had been taken in the entire class, besides the one right next to her. She smiled, thinking she had gotten out of having to interact with a stranger for at least this one class. 

Less than a minute to spare and the door slammed open one last time, the entire class looked up to see the blonde girl in the doorway. A few people chuckled, others just smiled and gave a little wave. Professor Grant raised a disapproving eyebrow and said nothing as the blonde walked in dressed in skin tight workout gear, carrying a field hockey stick and a backpack.

Lena is stunned, it was the same girl from this morning, what are the odds that Lena’s luck is this bad.

The blonde looks around the classroom, eyes settling on the only empty seat, she makes her way over. 

She fist bumps the two guys sitting in front of Lena, “Hey James, good to see you Winn!” She says smiling the whole time. 

Lena was doing her best to control her breathing and focus on the Ann Rule book in front of her that she didn’t even realize the girl had already sat down next to her until a voice startled her out of her reverie.

“Hey there, I’m Kara Danvers. I think I saw you at the field this morning, right?”

Lena’s heavy black makeup hoods her eyes as she looks up at Kara who was looking at her excitedly.

Kara smelled like sweat and sandalwood, a heady combination that left Lena breathless for a moment before she recovers, “Yes.”

Kara isn’t at all fazed by Lena’s apparent lack of interest in introducing herself.

“Aha I thought so! Not so many people appreciate that view but I can tell you certainly do, you were there before I was after all.” Kara says jovially, unbothered by the way Lena keeps her head buried in her book.

Moments later Lena is saved by Professor Grant finally starting class, welcoming them to Intro to Physics and introducing herself before diving into the wonders of syllabus week. Her first lecture of the year lasts about an hour before she tapers off.

“Well I hope you all are quite comfortable at the moment because the person sitting next to you is officially your lab partner until the end of the semester.”

Lena Luthor was the least comfortable she had ever been. She had listened on to Professor Grants lecture, pretending to take notes, occasionally glancing over at Kara who was reverently scribbling every word. The time had flown unusually fast until it was already the end of class but to Lena it felt like it took days. She was painfully aware of the girl next to her.

Lena froze as Kara’s lips were suddenly inches from her ear.

“Hey maybe we should exchange numbers, since we’re lab partners and all?” Kara whispers. Entirely unaware of the effect she was having.

Lena’s mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. Her throat was too dry to make any noise so instead she tore off a corner of her notebook, quickly she scrawled her number onto it, sliding it over to Kara just as Professor Grant dismissed the class. Lena gathered all her things in record time and left without ever looking back at Kara.


	2. Your Heart Is Strange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena is still coming to terms with the way Kara makes her feel. Physics is easy but everything else is way too hard.

Lena stared down at her phone, the one unread message had been taunting her since yesterday. Nobody ever texted her so she knew it had to be her. She had been procrastinating opening it but tomorrow was physics and Lena would have to see her again. Lena squares her shoulders and mentally berates herself for being so ridiculous, what was the big deal? It was just a text from a girl. She opens it before she can overthink it even more.

Kara: Hey there lab partner :) 

Lena stares at the words for a minute before nervously typing a few different responses, eventually she got something coherent.

Lena: Hello, Kara I presume?

Lena immediately locks her phone and slams it face down on her desk, a little harder than technically necessary.

“You good Luthor?” 

Lena startles, she had forgotten her roommate was just a few feet away from her at her own desk.

“Yes Jess, sorry if I disturbed you.”

“Nah, you’re alright, my winged eyeliners just gonna be a little more dramatic now.” Jess finishes her makeup and looks over at Lena, “I’m going to a mixer at one of the frats, my friend says she can get us in without a cover. Your more than welcome to come if you're interested?”

“Thanks but that’s not really my thing, plus I have class early tomorrow.” Lena says.

“Alright, have a goodnight Lena.” 

Jess shuts the door behind her and Lena lets out a breath. Jess really was a nice girl but Lena wished she would stop inviting her places, there’s no way in hell she would ever go to whatever a mixer is.

Her phone vibrates and Lena sees that Kara had texted her back.

Kara: You presumed correctly!  
Kara: So does my lab partner have a name?  
Lena: Lena  
Kara: See you tomorrow Lena :)

Another smiley face, what does that mean? Lena’s never had anyone to text before so she’s not sure if that’s normal. Should she have sent one? No, that’s ridiculous, Lena never smiles in person so why smile via text? This was far too confusing, she decided to bury herself in something easier like her calculus homework.

———————————————————————————

Lena felt like she was having a nervous breakdown. It was lucky she already knew basic physics because she hadn’t listened to a word Professor Grant said. Her lab partner had walked in again with a minute to spare but it appears this time she hadn’t come straight from practice. It was the first time she saw Kara in normal clothes and it was making Lena feel.. strange.

Kara had breezed into class with a backwards snapback over her pin straight blonde hair which cascaded down over her New Midvale letterman jacket. Damn, how did she make those ridiculous school colors look so good?

They had exchanged polite greetings but Kara’s late arrival meant Lena was spared from any small talk. Kara was furiously taking notes so Lena was able to sneak a few glances at her lab partner. The smell of sandalwood was even stronger than the day before and Lena found herself daydreaming about forests before she’s startled by Professor Grant looking at her expectantly.

Half the class had turned around to look at her and Lena felt her anxiety immediately build.

“S-sorry Professor could you repeat that?” Lena said with a small voice.

“Well if you were paying attention like I suspect you weren’t you should be able to tell me something about thermodynamics?” Professor Grant says with a raised eyebrow and a glare.

Lena was currently mortified but at least Grant didn’t ask something difficult of her.

“Well thermodynamics is the study of heat, temperature and energy as well as the relationships between all forms of energy.” Lena says, hoping she wasn’t too concise in her summary. But Professor Grant seemed appeased.

“Hmph. Moving on. This is your only reminder that your first project is fast approaching, check the syllabus for details. This, like all your projects shall be done with your partner. You shall be receiving one grade so plan accordingly. Dismissed.”

“How did you do that?”

Lena looks up to see Kara’s blue eyes trained on her. “Do what?” Lena says, genuinely confused.

“That thermodynamics stuff, you said stuff that Grant didn’t even say.” Kara says tilting her head.

“Oh, I’m actually quite familiar with the study of thermodynamics ever since I tried to make my brothers car run on vegetable oil. Admittedly that was not one of my best ideas. It didn’t work and the car never smelled right afterwords.” Lena says thoughtfully, as if everything she just said wasn’t batshit crazy.

“Oh-kayyy I have so many questions but first I guess we should nail down how we’re going to tackle this project. I like to get a head start on things since my schedule is so crazy. I’m free on Saturday at like 10 if that works for you?”

Lena realizes this project means spending even more time with Kara than she had previously anticipated. In her panic she blurts out, “No, it’s fine! I’ll just do it! You don’t have to worry about anything, I know your busy with your.. sports. I’ll get us an A.”

Kara furrows her brow, “While I don’t doubt you would do a great job I’m not exactly comfortable with taking credit for work that I didn’t do Lena.”

“Oh, okay, sorry that was a stupid suggestion. Uhm, Saturday works for me I guess.” Lena says, feeling those intrusive thoughts creeping up on her, telling her how useless and stupid she was, all in a voice that sounds suspiciously like her mother. But before her thoughts can spiral she’s interrupted by the sound of Kara’s voice.

“No, it wasn’t stupid at all! It was actually really sweet of you to offer. If I wasn’t so neurotic I would probably take you up on that. But also, do you not know what field hockey is?” Kara says with an expectant grin.

“It’s your.. sport?” Lena says tentatively.

Kara’s laughter is like bells chiming, “Yeah, I guess you could say it’s my sport. So you know how to jerry-rig a car to run on a different fuel but you don’t know what a field hockey stick is? I know it’s not the most popular sport but damn Lena.” Kara says chuckling.

Lena is taken off guard by Kara’s good-natured teasing. It seems like everything this girl does catches lena off guard.

“Yeah, I don’t really know much about that sort of thing. But to be fair I never did figure out how to make the vegetable oil work.” Lena says, pursing her lips to keep from smiling.

“Hey Kara! Me and Winn are hitting up Chipotle, you down?” James says, interrupting the unnecessary amount of eye contact Lena and Kara were making. 

Lena snaps back to reality, “I have to go, I’m gonna be late for calc. See you on Saturday at the library?”

Kara never takes her eyes off Lena as she gathers her things, “I’ll see you then,” she says with a sunny smile.

Lena gets up and walks toward the door, overhearing Kara say, “James you have terrible timing but obviously I’m down for Chipotle you jerk.”


	3. The Brightside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know that Beiber tweet that just says: I love arm.
> 
> Well that's Lena in this chapter.

Lena arrives at the library ten minutes early but is surprised to see Kara already hard at work, hunched over her laptop connected to chunky beats headphones that were blasting something with a heavy bass. She was wearing what appeared to be her field hockey uniform, the cut of it revealing her toned arms. Lena only catches herself staring when Kara looks up, waving when she sees Lena standing in the doorway. Lena half heartedly waves back and makes her way over. 

“Good morning lab partner! Ready to get our physics on?” Kara asks as she pauses her music and pulls her headphones down around her neck.

“It would seem so.” Lena says, trying to sound disinterested. She had come to terms with the fact that Kara’s presence had an odd effect on her but she was intent on not letting the other girl become aware of this. 

“Great! I just have to be at the field by noon, we have our first game today. You should check it out, and we’re having a party tonight to celebrate the win. I hope you’ll stop by, I’ll text you the address,” Kara says with a hopeful expression.

“Oh, that’s a very generous offer, um I’ll think about it.” Lena says, pausing for a second, “How can you know you’ll be celebrating a win if the game hasn’t happened yet?”

“Because I’m playing,” Kara says with a smile as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “Shall we get started?”

———————————————————————————————

 

“Honestly that felt more like a tutoring session than a group project.” Kara says smiling as she holds the door open for Lena as they walk out of the library.

“Ah sorry, I guess I got a little ahead of myself. “ Lena says blushing.

“Don’t be sorry, I learned more in the last hour than I did in class. You’re obviously passionate about science and there’s nothing better than listening to someone talk about their passions.”

“And what about you? What are your passions?” Lena asks teasingly. Over the past two hours she had relaxed somewhat, Kara really was easy to talk to.

“Ohh good question. Well the obvious answer is playing field hockey. When I’m on that turf it’s like everything just drops away except me and my teammates. I can focus on the task at hand and let everything else go for a little while, it feels like flying, like I was set loose from an anchor I didn’t realize I was carrying.”

Lena is taken aback, “That’s actually really beautiful.”

Kara turns to her and grins, “I could wax poetic about my love for that game for hours but I’ll spare you for now.”

They walk together in silence for a bit, Lena not realizing she was walking Kara to the field.

“So what’s the not so obvious answer? About what your passionate about.” Lena says, if only to hear more of Kara’s voice.

“Hm, well it may sound cliche but the short answer is I love helping people. I had a physical therapist once who helped me through a really hard time so I want to be that person for anyone who needs it.” Lena notices Kara’s usual bright demeanor dim slightly as her eyes become clouded with memories.

“You were injured?” Lena asks gently.

Kara waits a beat before answering, “Yeah, but that was a long time ago.” 

Regaining her normal bluster Kara says happily, “But as you can see I’m now the pinnacle of physical health!” She places her hands on her hips and her arms flex in a way that Lena just cannot handle. She loses all her calm and promptly trips over her own two inch heeled black boots, she resigns herself to face planting. That is until she finds herself caught by the very arms that got her into this mess.

“Woah! That was a close one, are you okay?” Kara says as she easily bears all of Lena’s weight before standing her up again.

Lena did her best not to notice how soft and warm Kara’s skin was or how easily she lifted Lena or how good she smelled. Yeah Lena didn’t notice any of that.

“Yeah, I-I’m fine, everything is fine and totally normal.” Lena says, her face flushed as she tried to regulate her breathing, “I, um, I just remembered I have to be somewhere, bye Kara.” Lena says before abruptly turning around and walking in the opposite direction.

“Oh okay! Hopefully I’ll see you later!” Kara yells after her.

Lena walks back to her dorm at a breakneck pace and doesn’t let herself think until she’s in her room.

“What the fuck. What the fuck is wrong with me?” Lena says, sitting down at her desk.

“Ugh, yeah what the fuck is wrong with you? Don’t you know how early it is!” Jess pulls the covers off her head and blearily looks up at Lena.

“I didn’t realize you were there, but it’s actually around noon. Are you okay?” Lena says at her roommates disheveled appearance.

“Fuck, really? I had a bit of a late night, someone lent me their ID and it got me into that weird dive bar in town, I think it’s called Snugs or something. Anyway thanks for waking me. You alright by the way?” Jess says, remembering what woke her up in the first place.

“Oh yeah, I don’t know, it’s just this girl I’ve been talking to. She’s not like anyone I’ve ever met before.” Lena says with a frown.

“Ahh so you guys are ‘talking’? Who is she?” Jess says with excitement, this was the most Lena had ever volunteered sharing before and she wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to find out more about her reclusive roommate.

“Her name is Kara, we’re lab partners and she plays field hockey.” Lena says, her mind still replaying the feeling of Kara catching her.

“Wait a minute you mean Kara Danvers?” Jess says, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah I think thats her last name, she actually invited me to a party at her house later.” Lena says without thinking about who she’s talking to, she had already gotten too comfortable around Jess.

“Holy shit. The field hockey house parties are legendary. You are going and you’re taking me with you!” Jess says excitedly jumping out of bed, “Damn what am I gonna wear?”

“I actually didn’t plan on going,” Lena says nervously.

“No way Luthor, you have to go! Plus then you can keep talking to Kara, right?” Jess says with a wink.

Lena has no response for that since there was nothing she would like more than to talk to Kara again.

“I’m gonna head over to the dining hall, I’ll be back after,” Lena says.

She abruptly gets up and shuts the door behind her causing her to miss Jess mutter, “Gotta get that girl laid before she has a nervous breakdown.”

——————————————————————————

Lena hadn’t realized that on her way to the dining hall she would be passing the turf field. She hears it before she sees it though, an announcer blared over the loudspeakers.

“It’s halftime at Midvale Field and the New Midvale Wolves lead the Star City Mustangs 4-0. Three of those goals coming from Kara ‘Supergirl’ Danvers, is this the year the phenom forward sets the record for the most goals by a single player? Can goalie Leslie Willis add another shutout to her record? My name is Winn Schott and stick around for the second half to find out!”

The loudspeaker cuts out as Lena approaches the field. She sees the teams gather on the sidelines and Kara is immediately visible, squirting a water bottle into her mouth and then all over her face, she lifts her jersey up to wipe it off, revealing her abs for a split second. Lena stops in her tracks and Kara glances over and sees her. She smiles as bright as the sun and waves at Lena who only nods her head in response. 

“Danvers, huddle up!”

Kara immediately goes to join her teammates and Lena tears her gaze away from the field and turns to keep walking. Maybe going to that party wouldn’t be the worst thing.


	4. Riptide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is from Kara's POV. We finally meet Alex, something unexpected begins and Lena gets a little braver.
> 
> Bonus points to anyone who catches the stranger things reference!
> 
> Seriously everyone who has left a comment thank you so much! You keep me motivated to keep writing this! Sorry, I haven't responded to you guys but you really mean a lot!

“Aleeeex pay attention to meee.” Kara pouts at her sister as she dramatically slumps over the bar.

Alex is thoroughly unimpressed and continues cleaning glasses, “Let me guess, it’s about a girl?”

Kara frowns, “How did you know?”

“Duh I know everything about you and you only get this annoying when a pretty girl is involved,” Alex says smugly.

“She’s not just pretty, she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen!” Kara whines, “But I can’t get a read on her.”

“So what’s this girl like?”

“Hmm she doesn’t talk much and she’s not much of a texter. Her messages are always short and kinda formal, it’s weird but I think I like it. She doesn’t seem to go out, or at least I haven’t seen her out. I’d hazard a guess that her favorite color is black since that’s all she ever wears. And she’s smart! Like crazy smart, I could listen to her talk about physics for hours.” Kara realizes how little she really knows about Lena, she remained a mystery but Kara just couldn’t stop thinking about her.

“Wow, okay so she’s an introverted goth?” Kara shrugs and nods her head and Alex raises her eyebrows, “Yeah, you need to do less before you scare her off completely.”

“Really Alex! Your advice is do less! First of all, I don’t know how to do less, I have one speed and it’s super speed!” Kara was getting hysterical by this point and Alex was losing her patience.

“Are you sure she’s even gay?”

That stops Kara in her tracks, “Well, that’s part of the problem. There are definite vibes there and I’ve caught her staring at me a few times but I’m just not sure!”

“Even if she’s not it wouldn’t be the first time you turned a straight girl, right sis?” Alex says with a smirk.

“You know it wasn’t like that, Lucy would’ve figured it out eventually. I just expedited the process a bit.” Kara says with a sly smile.

Alex’s response was cut off by the front door slamming open. The bar goes silent as a cop struts in, hands on her belt she says, “So does this dump have a liquor license or am I gonna have to take you all downtown?”

“YOU’LL NEVER CATCH US ALIVE COPPER!” Kara screams, flinging herself from the barstool to full body tackle Maggie to the ground. They wrestle around for a minute before Maggie has Kara pinned to the floor of the bar.

“Uncle! Uncle!” Kara yells as Maggie gets off of her, “One day Sawyer, I’ll get the drop on you!”

“It’ll be a cold day in hell lil Danvers.” Maggie grins offering Kara a hand and pulling her up.

“Are you hoodlums finally done? Because I could use some help back here?” Alex says rolling her eyes before leaning over the bar so Maggie can kiss her.

“Sorry Al I just stopped by to say hi, I’m working tonight.”

“And I should really get the keg back to the house so we can finish setting up. I’ll stop by after the party breaks up and help out.”

“Alright, I’ll take it. Everything else is okay? Have you been sleeping alright?” Alex says with concern.

“Alex I’m fine, it’s been months since the last nightmare, I swear everything’s really good.” 

“Okay, but we have to have a sister night soon, I miss you,” Alex says with a sad smile.

“And what am I, chopped liver?” Maggie chimes in.

“That’s exactly what you are,” Alex says leaning over to kiss her on the cheek, “Now both of you, out! I have work to do and you’re distracting me!”

“Love you too sis, byeee!” Kara says, the door slamming behind her.

——————————————————————————

It was getting late and so far no sign of Lena, she was considering texting her but she didn’t want to come on too strong. Alex’s advice echoed in her head but it went against her very nature to back down from anything. She was mentally wrestling with herself when she overhears Leslie.

“And who might you be sweetheart?” 

“Oh I’m Jess, my friend Lena brought me, I hope that’s okay?”

“The more the merrier I say, care for some jungle juice? It’s my special recipe,” Leslie says with a devilish grin.

“Uh sure, what’s in it?” Jess says regarding the punch bowl with suspicion.

“PURE FUEL!” Leslie screams, then as an afterthought she says, “Which really means vodka, juice, sprite and a dash of adderall.”

Jess squints her eyes, thinking for a second before shrugging and happily accepting a cup from Leslie as Kara approaches her.

“Hey you said your friends with Lena, is she here?” Kara says excitedly.

“Yeah, ohh you must be Kara. I think she’s looking for you,” Jess says smiling as she gives Kara a once over before turning back to talk to Leslie.

Kara’s heart soars, she had a feeling Lena didn’t go out much so she had to make sure she had a good time. She scans the room and sure enough leaning against the back wall she sees shiny black hair cascading down on to pale shoulders. A pendant necklace drew Kara’s eye down to the black dress that hugged Lena’s body in a way that made Kara want to get on her knees and cry. Instead she decides to fill two cups from the keg and make her way over. 

“Fancy seeing you here, lab partner, “ Kara says with her sunniest smile.

Lena’s shoulders sag in relief at the sight of her, “Hello Kara, how’s your celebrating going?” She says accepting the solo cup from Kara’s outstretched hand. She takes a small sip to be polite but wrinkles her nose at the taste.

Kara is thoroughly charmed by this and says rather dreamily, “Much better now.”

Lena raises her eyebrow. “I actually came here with my roommate, but I’m afraid I lost her in the crowd.”

“Oh you mean Jess? Leslie is introducing her to the wonders of jungle juice, “ Kara says chuckling, “Don’t worry she’s harmless.”

“Is Leslie the one who just dumped an entire beer on that guys head?” Lena asks uncertainly, glancing over Kara’s shoulder with some difficulty due to Kara being several inches taller than her.

Kara whips her head around to survey the situation, “Oh fuck not again, hold my beer please?” 

“Mike what the fuck did I tell you last time, you’re not welcome here!” Kara rushes over to get between him and Leslie who were already close to blows. She grabs Mike by the scruff of the neck and drags the inebriated idiot to the front door, tossing him over the threshold to tumble into the lawn.

Lena watches the display in shock until she notices a girl approach her. “Hmm not her best toss but considering all that dead weight I’ll give it a B plus.”

“Does this happen often?” Lena says with concern.

“Every once in a while some douche needs to be put in their place, we usually let Kara handle it, she’s pretty protective of her people. I’m Lucy by the way. I’m one of her people.”

Lena recalls seeing this girl get out of Kara’s car that quiet morning. It felt like a lifetime ago.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Lena.”

“Of course you are,” Lucy says raising an eyebrow.

“Okay, I’m back and all is well in the house!” Kara says accepting her beer off Lena and promptly chugging half of it, “All that violence sure makes a girl thirsty.”

“And god knows you’ve always been thirsty, right Kara?” Lucy says with a wink, she brushes her hand over Kara’s shoulder, “Well I’ll let you two get back to it, have a lovely night.” She walks away with her hips swaying dangerously.

Lena watches the exchange silently and Kara feels heat rise in her cheeks. Her and Lucy had happened to hook up once upon a time but they were really just friends so Kara knew she did that mostly to get a rise out of Lena. Unfortunately it worked a little too well.

“Actually I was just going to go, I’ll see you in class.” Lena says not meeting Kara’s gaze she discards her cup on the nearest table as she rushes out of the door.

“Oh I’m gonna fucking kill Lucy,” Kara mutters before chasing Lena out the door, she leaps over Mike’s body and jogs down the street after Lena, “Hey wait up Lena, at least let me walk you home. “

“Kara it’s fine I don’t want you to miss your party,” Lena has her arms crossed over her body and she doesn’t meet Kara’s gaze.

“I don’t care about the party,” she thinks for a moment, “I really just wanted to hangout with you.”

Lena looks at her frowning, “Why would you want to hangout with me?”

What Kara really wants to say is that it’s because Lena is the smartest, weirdest, most interesting girl she had ever met. Not mention she was more beautiful than a full moon and Kara wanted to know everything about her. But then she remembers Alex’s advice, do less. So instead she takes a deep breath and says, “I just really like talking to you. Why, do you not like talking to me?” Kara says with a teasing smile.

“You’re the only person I like talking to.” Lena says with a sad smile.

Kara is struck by her expression, she can’t recall ever seeing Lena genuinely smile before and ached more than anything to take the sadness away from it. To brush her hand along her cheek and kiss her until she was really smiling. 

Lena startles her out of her daydreaming by stopping in her tracks. “Oh no, I can’t believe I just ditched Jess at your house,” Lena says in panic.

“We could go back and find her but she seemed pretty cozy with Leslie before we left. If you really want to go home how about I text Leslie to make sure she gets home safe?” Kara asks.

“Is that a good idea?” Lena says uncertainly.

Kara laughs, “I know she seems a little wild but Leslie Willis is one of my best friends and a good egg through and through, scouts honor.”

“Okay, I’ll take your word for it. But you better be right.” Lena says, suddenly feeling protective of her roommate.

They walk on in a comfortable silence for a bit when Kara looks over and realizes Lena is shivering, “Lena you must be freezing, you know fishnet doesn’t count as real sleeves. Here let me give you my hoodie.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly, then you’ll be cold,” Lena protests.

“Oh stop, I’ll be fine I run hot,” Kara says already pulling the hoodie up over her ears, her shirt sticks to the fabric revealing her toned abs in all their glory. Lena had seen them briefly from afar but up close it was borderline obscene.

“You sure do,” Lena mutters without thinking.

“Can’t hear you, shirts already over my head!” Kara says, muffled.

She pulls it off and forces it into Lena’s hands who accepts it uncertainly but Kara keeps looking at her expectantly until she gives in and puts it on over her black dress. Kara smiles at the sight of Lena wearing her field hockey hoodie. Her jersey number, 12, was on the arm and her name on the back in block print. It was her favorite, the comfiest item of clothing she had but she parted with it gladly because it had never looked better than it did right now.

“Better?” Kara asked with a grin.

“Yes, actually. Thank you Kara.” Lena said shyly.

It only took five more minutes to get to Lena’s dorm, which in Kara’s opinion was far too quickly, she never wanted their walk to end, but here they were.

“This is me, I guess you’ll want this back,” Lena said indicating the sweatshirt.

“No no! It’s fine really, you’re already wearing it and I can get it back anytime right? Hold on to it,” Kara said, wanting her to have something to remind Lena of her.

The corner of Lena’s mouth curls up into the second smile Kara had ever seen on her lips.

“Thank you Kara, for everything tonight. I know I left kind of abruptly but I’m really not used to parties and it was just.. a lot.”

“I totally understand, it’s not for everyone. I’m just really glad you came at all,” Kara says, rocking on her heels with her hands shoved in the pockets of her jeans.

Lena looks at her not speaking for a moment before whispering, “Goodnight Kara.” She leans in and presses a soft kiss to Kara’s cheek. The moment hangs in the air, as if they were suspended in amber before Lena pulls back. She ducks her head and quickly walks to the entrance of the dorm.

Kara stands there for at least five minutes before her brain can properly function again. She wasn’t sure if that really happened but all she knew was that she had to get back and talk this over with Alex.

Kara felt a well of energy build inside of her; she decides to run back into town. She bolts from the dorm entrance, bounding over the quad, she jumps entire flights of stairs in her exuberance. She makes it back to Snug’s in record time, though she had sprinted clear across campus she was barely winded as she rounded the corner to see James working the door. She blindsides him with a massive hug and he just barely keeps them from crashing through the window.

“Woah girl! Someone having a good night I guess?” He says with a laugh.

“You have no idea,” Kara says grinning from ear to ear, she lets him go.

He studies her face for a second, smirking, “Oh I can imagine, why don’t you go tell your sister?”

“Yes! I have so much to tell her, see you later James!” Kara rushes inside and makes her way through the crowd so she can duck behind the bar.

Alex takes one look at her beaming sister and raises an eyebrow, “So you got your goth girlfriend yet?”

“Huh?” Kara says, confused.

“You’ve got black lipstick on your cheek so I’m assuming it went well?”

Kara brings her hand up to her cheek, smiling softly at the fact there was evidence that Lena really kissed her. This wasn’t just in Kara’s head, there was something real there. Kara’s chest flutters and she squeals in excitement before pulling Alex into a bone-crushing hug.

“Okay sis we’re totally talking this through later but for now these people need their booze!”

Kara releases her and stands at attention with her hand in a mock salute, “Aye aye Captain!”

———————————————————————

Hours later the bar had mostly cleared out, Alex had gone to the back to do some bookkeeping and Kara began to clean up when the door slammed open to reveal a stumbling Leslie who was somehow supporting a giggling Jess in an unsteady piggyback ride.

“Behold bitches, it is I!” Leslie says dramatically.

“And I as well!” Jess chimes in.

“Hey guys,” Kara says brightly as they drape themselves over barstools, “Hope you’ve been having a good night, I certainly have!”

“I’m sure you have, I saw you leaving with Elvira before,” Leslie says with an overstated wink.

“Be nice,” Jess whines, playfully hitting Leslie on the arm, “That’s my friend your talking about, or at least I think she’s my friend. That girl is hard to read, sometimes I don’t even know if she likes me or just tolerates me,” she says thoughtfully.

“Well she was pretty concerned with your well-being so theres that,” Kara says trying to be helpful.

“Aw that’s nice! And there was that time she said that nice thing about you or whatever,” Jess says, her drunkenness leaving no room for a filter.

“She said something about me?” Kara asked excitedly.

“Yeah totally, something like you were nothing like anyone she’d ever met before. There was also cursing involved.. It was only this morning but I don’t know I was hungover, hah!” Jess laughs leaning into Leslie’s shoulder.

Kara grins and feels her chest flutter. “I like you Jess, you get a Pickleback on the house!”

Leslie perks up and says, “Me to! You like me right Kara?!” She says smiling and batting her eyelashes.

“I tolerate you Willis,” Kara says with a smile, pouring three shots of whiskey.

“What the hell’s a Pickleback?” Jess asks.

“Only the best shot ever created! You do a shot of whiskey and chase it with a shot of pickle juice. I swear it’s fucking glorious.” Leslie says, grinning.

Kara lines up the glasses and holds her up to cheers, “To new friends and old!”

They all slam down their drinks and chase with the pickle juice.

“Damn, that’s good.” Jess says with surprise.

“Of course it is! We’d never lead you astray, Danvers knows whats up, AWOO!” 

Kara grins at her friend, joining in on their wolf call, “AWOOO.”


	5. Goosebumps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lena is oblivious but everyone else totally ships it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait between chapters! I'm going to try to create some semblance of an update schedule, which I'm usually terrible at. Anyways thank you all for your kudos and comments, the reaction to this has been amazing and I'm excited to keep writing it!

Strong arms held Lena tightly, smelling of musk and sandalwood, she nuzzles further into the embrace. Burying herself in the scent she feels herself relax until suddenly she’s cut loose and she’s falling, SLAM.

Lena wakes up with a startle as the door ricocheted off the wall.

“Oh fuck Lena, I didn’t mean to wake you!” Jess whispers guiltily, stumbling into their dorm room.

Lena glances at the clock and it’s almost 4 am.

“Where have you been?” Lena says blearily.

Jess smiles, “I hung out with that girl Leslie like allll night. She just dropped me off in an uber.”

“Oh, okay. I’m glad you made it back.”

Jess looks at Lena for a moment, “Say, whose hoodie is that? I’ve never seen you wear colors before, let alone the schools colors..”

Lena perks up slightly, remembering what she had done that night.

“Kara actually lent it to me when she walked me home,” Lena whispered.

Jess, who had already been changing into her pajamas looked up at that. “She gave you her hoodie? That’s fucking adorable!”

“What? No, it’s really not that big of a deal right?” Lena says, rolling over onto her back to gaze up at the ceiling. After a moment she turns her head to bury her nose in the side of Kara’s hoodie, inhaling the comforting scent.

Jess squints, slightly perplexed at Lena’s obliviousness but decides against confronting her about it since the night was finally catching up. She climbs into bed, “G’night Lena,” Jess whispers, barely clinging to consciousness.

“Goodmorning Jess.”

Lena had been sound asleep only moments earlier but Jess’s arrival had reminded her of everything that happened that night. 

She had barely held it together at that party and then Lucy had come up to her and made it clear that Kara had other things going on. Why would she want to spend the night with Lena when gorgeous Lucy was right there with her lingering touches, words dripping with insinuations. Lena could hear that voice in her head telling her she was just in the way as usual. It had confused her as to why she cared so much and she just wanted to get as far away as possible. That is until Kara had chased after her. She had left her house filled with friends and laughter just to spend time with Lena. She didn’t know why it mattered so much to her that Kara genuinely wanted to be around her, all she knew was that the more time they spent together the lighter Lena felt. 

Something had overcome her. The whole night had been overwhelming and not much had felt right until she was walking down the quiet street next to Kara, until she had been wearing Kara’s hoodie, until she was standing in front of her outside the dorm. Kara looked so beautiful, grinning at her sheepishly with her hands stuffed in her pockets as if she didn’t know what to do with them. It was standing there, the warm light of a nearby lamppost causing Kara’s blue eyes to shine, that Lena felt calm and warm. She felt something she hadn’t felt in years. She felt happy.

She had let the moment overtake her and there was no room for second-guessing or overthinking and she just let her body do what it wanted and more than anything she wanted to press her lips against Kara’s tanned skin.

She replays the moment in her mind, blushing at the memory of her lipstick on Kara’s cheek, as she drifts off back to sleep.

———————————————————————————

The next morning Lena awoke to a crisp fall day, she elected to let Jess get some much-needed sleep and slipped out of the room grabbing her sketchpad. She made her way across the quad until she reached the parking lot next to the field. She remembered Kara mentioning that none of the teams had practice on Sunday so she looked forward to some peace and quiet, maybe she could finish her sketch from last week. Sure there was that unsightly mark on it but she had worked hard for almost an hour beforehand. Besides it really was the best view on campus.

She settled at the top of the bleachers and lost herself in the drawing. She focused her busy mind on the simple task. All her confusion that had been building over the last week just fell away for a few moments. She does her best to capture the fleeting colors of the changing leaves until she’s content with her work. She surveys the sketch for a moment, her eyes linger over the accidental mark, remembering how she made it right before seeing Kara for the first time. It was barely a week ago but so much had happened in that short time.

She didn’t feel nearly the same as she did, those self-deprecating voices in her head had quieted somewhat and she didn’t realize what a relief that would be. It left her feeling oddly invigorated, with an energy she didn’t normally possess. She decided suddenly that maybe it was time to take advantage of the facilities on campus.

One of the few physical activities Lena genuinely enjoyed at her pretentious boarding school was swimming. It felt like being in a different world when she submerged herself underwater, it cleared her head. Lena looked forward to the same clarity when an hour later she was toeing the water of the heated Olympic size pool in the school gym. She was the only one taking advantage of it that early in the morning, the only other person in the large echoing room was the lifeguard who barely acknowledged her when she walked in and hung her towel on the wall.

She takes a deep breath, slips her goggles over her eyes and plunges into the water below.

——————————————————————

Kara had spent the night on the couch in Alex’s apartment above the bar and woke up in a panic when she saw the time. She barely had a minute to stop at her house and pick her way through the aftermath of the house party to put on her uniform. She grabbed a protein bar and scarfed it down as she drove to campus, willing her car to not run out of gas, she pulls up with only minutes to spare.

She jogs in through the back entrance and Vasquez looks immediately relieved to see her.

“I heard about the party so I had pretty much resigned myself to working your shift too,” the short-haired woman said with a smile.

“Coach you know I wouldn’t do that to you! I am a woman of my word and here I am!” Kara said dramatically. Susan Vasquez was the assistant field hockey coach who occasionally worked the gym as well, she had graduated from Midvale just last year and she remained a good friend.

“Of course you are Danvers. Well, it should be a slow morning for you, there's only one person here and she seems like a competent enough swimmer so have fun working off your hangover!” Vasquez says looking over her shoulder on her way out.

Kara dumps her bag and settles into the lifeguard chair, she observes the girl swimming for a few minutes before she closes her eyes to the comforting and familiar sounds of splashing, the scent of chlorine in the air relaxes her and she rolls her shoulders a few time to let out the tension that had gathered due to Alex’s lumpy old sofa. She kept trying to make Alex get a new one but her sister was nothing if not stubborn.

The splashing slows then stops completely and is replaced by the telltale signs of somebody climbing out of the pool, all sounds she knows very well until she hears a small gasp. Kara snaps her eyes open, immediately awake.

Kara does a double take, she looks at the shivering girl in front of her for a moment and almost didn’t recognize her. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and she looked younger without the heavy layers of makeup she usually wore. She was clad only in a black speedo bathing suit. It wasn’t exactly skimpy but the Kara had to keep her jaw from dropping at the sight off all that pale skin. 

Also, she looked absolutely horrified to see Kara.

“What are you stalking me or something, Lena?” Kara said with a teasing smile, trying to lighten the mood a little.

“I-uh, I have to go,” Lena stuttered out and immediately took off towards the locker rooms, door slamming behind her.

“Smooth Danvers,” Kara whispered to herself. She ached to chase after her but it seemed Lena was already uncomfortable and Kara didn’t want to push her any farther. She slumped in her chair and resigned herself to an agonizing shift, thinking only of Lena’s lips and her gorgeous pale skin and how cute she looked without any makeup on.

Two hours later and Kara was totally just resting her eyes, completely not asleep, when a text message startles her, she checks it and smiles.

Lena: For the record, I’m not stalking you. I had no idea you were a lifeguard.

Kara: There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me

Kara: You have a great form by the way

Lena: Excuse me?

Kara: Your breaststroke, you have great form. In my expert opinion I bet you could make the swim team.

Lena: Oh. Thank you, but I don’t think organized sports are my thing.

Kara: You never know unless you try :)

——————————————————————————————

Lena was uncharacteristically disappointed to receive a text from Kara early on Monday. Apparently, she was having car trouble and was going to miss Physics. She asked Lena to get her the notes which meant for the first time Lena actually had to pay attention. So although she already knew everything Professor Grant was saying she dutifully copied it down, word for word, but also adding notes here and there of her own. She didn’t want Kara to have any gaps in knowledge.

At the end of class she’s startled by the guy who sits in front of her, James she remembers his name, looking at her curiously.

“Hey, Lena right? I like that shade of lipstick on you,” he says.

Lena studies him for a moment, trying to gauge whether he was just another asshole trying to mess with her. But then she remembers he’s friends with Kara and his smile seems genuine enough.

“Thank you,” she says, still confused.

He nods his head to her before gathering his bag and following Winn out of the room.

The small interaction was enough to put Lena off balance but she managed to regain her composure on her walk to her next class, History of Rock was her easy mandatory music credit and she found herself a seat in the back and settled in to listen to a grown man with a ponytail play The Doors greatest hits for an hour.

Suddenly Leslie is there, she sits down next to her. “What’s up Elvira? Mind if I sit here?”

Lena is taken aback, she didn’t even know Leslie was in this class or that she knew who Lena was for that matter, but she schools her features into a mask of disinterest, “By all means.”

Leslie makes herself at home, kicking her feet up on the chair in front of her, she pops her gum and they settle into an easy silence.

“Thank you, by the way,” Lena says suddenly, “For what you did at the party? Jess told me that Mike said some really disgusting things to her before you dumped that beer on his head.”

“Oh that? That was my pleasure, the dude gives off bad vibes for days so every once in a while we gotta remind him he's not welcome. But he’ll forget and come sliming his way back in eventually, he’s not too bright.” Leslie chuckles to herself, “How was the rest of your night, hang out with Danvers much? We lost track of you guys.”

“Oh, yeah I guess, she walked me back to my dorm,” Lena says thoughtfully, “Hey Leslie can I ask you something?”

“Shoot kid.”

“Is she always like that? Kara I mean.”

“What? Is she sunny Danvers 24/7? Most of the time yeah. But, just don’t let that fool you, my girls been through it and back.” Leslie looks pointedly at Lena, “So If anyone were to hurt her I wouldn’t take that lightly.”

Lena is unsure how to respond, why would she ever hurt Kara?

“Anyways I’m about to save you a shit load of time so listen up frosh. This dude,” Leslie points at the teacher, “He doesn’t take attendance, not even a fucking sign in sheet. And I happen to have copies of the midterm and final so what do you say we get the fuck up outta here?”

“Oh I-I’ve never cheated on anything before. I don’t know?” 

“Hah! Not even once? You’re fucking wild. Well, this is a throwaway credit so I say no harm no foul. Besides, why be here when you could be spending your time on more important studies, physics perhaps?” Leslie says with an evil grin.

Lena thinks for a moment and starts gathering her things up to leave.

“Atta girl Elvira.”

“Are you gonna keep calling me that?”

“Would you prefer Morticia?”

“…Elvira is fine.”


	6. A Little Bit Closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls have a movie night and everyone gets a little closer. Until a phone call sends Lena spiraling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tons of fluff then a taste of angst at the end.

Lena was leaning on the fence next to the field, waiting for Kara’s practice to be over so she could give her the Physics notes. She had no idea what it was they were doing. Some sort of drill with one team dribbling and weaving the little orange ball through defenders before trying to shoot. But Lena only had eyes for Kara. Her movements were at once graceful yet powerful, she moved with a single-minded confidence, her stick dancing in her hands as she blew past 3 of her own teammates single-handedly. Her stick came down with a crack as the ball sailed to the far corner of the goal.

Leslie, decked out in ridiculous looking goalie gear, kicked her leg out in a full split but still couldn’t stop Kara from scoring on her.

“Damn Danvers! I think I ripped my taint on that one, save it for the game!” Leslie says, struggling to stand. Kara runs over and knocks her helmet with a smile.

Lena observes for a few more minutes before the coach has everyone huddled to end the practice with an “AWOOOO.”

Kara disentangles herself from her teammates, looking up she sees Lena on the fence, breaking into a smile she begins waving as she runs over.

“Do you guys always do that?” Lena asks with a smirk.

“What the wolf call? Yeah, it's our thing! Check this out,” Kara clears her throat, “AWOOO!”

The rest of the team looks up from the sideline and their response is even louder than it was in the huddle. Kara smiles, “We’re not just a team, we’re a family, a pack. And the call and response remind us of that every time we do it.”

“Alright, I think I get it,” Lena says somewhat skeptically, “So, I believe I owe you some notes.”

Lena goes into her bag to pull out her notebook, handing it to Kara.

“Oh geez, Lena I would’ve settled for some copies you don’t have to give me your whole notebook,” Kara says suddenly flustered.

“Don’t be silly, it’s literally the only thing in here. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I don’t usually take notes,” Lena says, thrusting the book into Kara’s hands.

Kara accepts the notebook, never breaking eye contact she says, “Oh, I’ve certainly noticed.”

Lena feels a blush creep onto her face and she swallows thickly, remembering what happened the last time she was looking into Kara’s eyes for too long. This was the first time she’d seen Kara since that night.

Her thoughts are abruptly interrupted by a scream.

“DANVERS HEADS UP!”

Lena looks just past Kara’s head to see an orange ball careening towards her at an incredible pace. Lena gasps and time slows down for a moment as Lena calculates what the force of a solid plastic ball would do to her face traveling at such a velocity, the results are not promising for her bone structure.

Kara takes in the panic on Lena’s face for a split second before her reflexes kick in, she whips her head around and her right hand darts up to intercept the ball as it was mere inches away from crashing into Lena.

“OW! Owww, oh hell that sucked!” Kara says with a pained look on her face as she drops the ball and cradles her hand close to her chest, “Veronica, when are you gonna learn to control your hits?!”

“Kara! Oh my god are you okay?” Lena says frantically, reaching over the fence she puts her hands on Kara’s shoulders.

Kara looks up in surprise at Lena’s touch, momentarily feeling no pain, “What? Yeah, I’m good.” 

Lena pulls her hands back shyly, “You saved me. That was coming straight for my face.”

“Well, I guess that was pretty heroic,” Kara says with the most dashing grin she can muster while still in a considerable amount of pain.

But the smile on Lena’s face is worth all the pain in the world when Lena whispers, “My hero.”

Their oblivious bubble is burst when half the team and Coach Moors jog up to check on Kara. Lena quietly excuses herself, waving to Kara as her teammates fuss over her and press ice into her sore hand.

—————————————————————————————

Their next Physics class Kara is present but the ace bandage carefully wrapped around her dominant hand has her struggling with her pen as she attempts to take notes. Lena watches her struggle for a moment, waiting for her to ask for help before it becomes apparent Kara is just too stubborn. Lena sighs and grabs the pen and notebook from Kara, sliding it over to her side of the lab table to begin taking notes for her injured partner.

“Lena that’s really not necessary,” Kara says trying to get her pen back but wincing at moving her hand.

“Nonsense Kara, you’re only hurt because of me so this is really the least I can do,” Lena whispers, not looking up from her frantic scribbling.

“Thank you,” Kara says, allowing herself to look at Lena for a long moment. Her brow is furrowed in concentration, hair falling in dark waves around her face.

“What are you doing this weekend?” Kara hears herself ask.

“Hm? Oh, nothing really. Studying probably.” Lena says.

“Well, we’ve got a game early Saturday but it’s a few hours away. We’ll be back late and nobody really likes going out after long trips, but usually we do a movie marathon. It’ll be way calmer than the party last weekend. You should come over, you can even bring Jess?” Kara says hopefully.

Lena looks up from her notes, “That sounds kind of nice, I’ll see if Jess wants to go.”

Kara was dying to pester Lena until she agreed but wills herself to once again do less, instead she says, “Great, I’ll text you when we get back in.”

———————————————————

Lena had tried to resist but either Jess was getting more persuasive or Lena was more pliable. No matter what the reason Lena and Jess walked up to the field hockey house at 9:30, just as Kara had texted her she should.

They knock and the door slams open revealing a grinning Lucy.

“Well hello, please do come in,” she says with a sly smile, “Close the door behind you?” Lucy disappears into the house, letting Lena and Jess make their own way inside.

The inside looks entirely different now that its empty of the many party goers of the other night. They walk through the living room until they reach the kitchen where Kara and Leslie are whispering to each other frantically until Kara looks up to see Lena.

“You came,” she says with a relieved smile.

“Yeah, Jess kind of bullied me into it,” Lena said, somewhat shyly, gesturing to her friend who only had eyes for Leslie.

“That’s my girl,” Leslie said playfully, putting her arm around Jess’s shoulders, she guided her toward the basement stairs where Lena could hear laughter and conversations.

“Well, I for one am glad she did. Can I interest you in a glass of wine? I noticed you weren’t a fan of beer the other night. I also have soda if you don’t feel like drinking?” Kara says with a smile.

Lena thinks for a moment, deciding she wouldn’t mind something to calm her nerves a little, “A glass of wine sounds lovely.” 

Kara grins, “I hope red is okay?” She says pouring them both a glass carefully mindful of her bandaged hand.

“It’s perfect. How’s your hand by the way? I still feel really terrible that you hurt yourself because of me.” Lena says looking down.

Kara looks at her and hesitates for a moment before slowly reaching over to gently touch Lena’s chin, tilting her head up until they were looking into each other’s eyes again.

“You have nothing to feel bad about. It would’ve been much worse if I hadn’t caught that ball and I wasn’t about to let anything bad happen to you,” Kara says with a soft smile before pulling her hand back.

Before Lena can respond Sam’s voice carries up the stairs, “Get your ass down here Danvers or we start without you!” 

Kara smiles and passes Lena her glass before ushering her down the stairs to the basement below. 

“Alright ladies and germs its marathon time, get comfy!” Kara yells as she walks down the stairs.

It’s a mostly unfinished basement with a pool table towards the back but the main focus was the ring of old couches, beanbag chairs, and cushions on top of an assortment of mismatched carpets all surrounding a beat-up coffee table with an impressive array of snacks and drinks. The lights are low and almost all the seats are taken. She notices Jess already on a couch, pressed into Leslie’s side as they laugh at something on her phone. Lucy and Sam are next to them and James was lounging on a beanbag while absentmindedly playing with Winn’s hand who was sitting next to him. There were a few other girls there sitting on the cushions who Lena assumed were Kara’s teammates that she hadn’t met yet.

It was crowded but the atmosphere was so relaxed that Lena didn’t feel as nervous as she had when she came here the first time. Kara gestured her over to the only empty spot, a love seat on the far left. 

Sam goes to put the first disc into the DVD player. Lena settles in, silently observing everyone else in the basement while Kara gathers up some loose pillows and a blanket for them to share.

“Alright, tonight we're starting with Bridesmaids,” Kara says with excitement.

“Oh, I don’t think I’ve seen that one before,” Lena says.

The room goes quiet and everyone looks at Lena, her face heats up at the attention before Leslie breaks the silence.

“You lucky bitch! This is a classic and you get to see it for the first time!” Leslie yells as everyone hoots and claps in agreement. Lena is spared from further attention as Leslie directs Sam to shut the overhead lights off as the movie begins to start up.

Lena feels herself relax a little when the lights go down and everyone's gazes are directed to the screen. Kara throws the blanket over them and Lena is acutely aware that their thighs are brushing. Lena feels a blush rise on her chest when Kara leans over to whisper in her ear, “Fair warning we know every word in this movie and tend to recite most of it, I hope we don’t get on your nerves too much.”

“Oh I’m sure I won’t mind,” Lena says, as Kara leans back against the couch.

About two hours later Lena actually finds herself laughing along with everyone else as the movie comes to an end. Kara hadn’t been lying about the group’s tendency to talk over the movie but it was actually quite entertaining. Leslie got up more than once to act out a scene as everyone died with laughter around her, Winn throwing popcorn at her when she blocked the screen.

Her and Kara had almost finished the bottle of wine when the movie finally does end. Lena finds herself leaning into Kara’s side, she seemed to radiate heat and Lena shivered a little.

“Are you cold?” Kara asks, before shifting her body so she could put her arm around Lena’s shoulders, “Is this okay?”

Lena blushes again but Kara’s so warm and her sweater is so soft on Lena’s skin she lets herself relax into the embrace, she closes her eyes and says, “Yeah, it’s fine.”

Kara smiles and looks up to see Leslie and Jess peeking over the arm of their couch, Jess was grinning and Leslie was giving her two thumbs up. Kara widens her eyes at them, trying to get them to stop before Lena saw. Thankfully they take the hint and turn back to each other, whispering conspiratorially, which somehow worried Kara even more.

“Alright, for the next move my vote is Pitch Perfect!” Lucy says, digging through their DVD collection to pull it out, everyone claps and yells in agreement as she sets it up.

Kara turns her head to whisper in Lena’s ear, “Let me guess, you’ve never seen this one either?”

“And let me guess, you guys have seen it so many times that everyone is gonna recite every word again?” Lena says teasingly.

“You’ve guessed correctly, only this time with more singing!” Kara says with a smile as they settle in for another movie.

———————————————————————

Lena slowly awakes to the insistent buzzing of her phone, she opens her eyes to see she’s still in Kara’s basement. It’s empty now, save for the two of them. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep but between the wine and how warm and safe she felt in Kara’s arms, she didn’t stand a chance. Lena carefully disentangles herself from Kara and sits up. 

Kara’s lips are slightly parted as her chest rises and falls, her golden hair messily framing her face. Lena thinks that this is what an angel would look like. Sleep had softened Kara’s features and Lena ached to reach out and trace the line of her jaw with her fingers. She remembered what it felt like to press her lips against Kara’s cheek and got butterflies at the thought of how soft Kara’s lips would be on her own.

She's startled out of her daydreaming as her phone buzzes once again. Annoyed, Lena pulls it from her pocket and blanches at the name on the screen. Lillian Luthor. She had six missed calls from her dear mother. Lena’s anxiety bubbles up, she gets up and looks back at Kara briefly. She pulls the blanket up around her shoulders before making her way up the stairs.

It’s not until Lena is outside in the crisp morning air, walking back to her dorm that she pulls her phone out to call Lillian back. Lena wills her not to pick up but on the third ring, the line clicks.

“Hello, my darling daughter, how kind of you to finally get back to me,” Lillian’s voice is dripping with sarcasm and Lena feels her stomach drop.

“Hello, mother. I’m sorry I missed your calls,” Lena says.

“I’m not paying for you to go to that awful school just so you can sleep in, I expect a 4.0 Lena.”

“And that’s what you’ll get, I promise. You don’t have to worry about me,” Lena says, wishing Lillian would just forget about her completely.

“I still can’t believe I let you talk me into this. That place is rife with all sorts of.. undesirables. These liberals and homosexuals are ruining this country. I expect you’re not mixing with anyone like that Lena?” Lillian says with a cold edge to her voice.

Lena stops in her tracks, dread washing through her entire body.

“Yes mother, I’ve been keeping to myself mostly,” she barely manages to keep her voice steady.

“Good, I expect monthly updates on your studies. I have to get to a meeting now,” the line clicks off before Lena can reply.

Lena’s eyes glaze over as she walks back to her dorm, willing herself not to think. She felt herself teetering on the edge of something and she was dangerously close to breaking down. Her hand is shaking as she tries to slide her room key into the lock. Eventually, she uses two hands and manages to let herself in. Jess’s bed is empty and Lena throws herself onto her mattress as tears begin welling up in her eyes. She’s not sure how long she lays there before the door opens and Jess walks in.

“Hey, Lena! I texted you when you weren’t at the house..” Jess trails off as she gets a good look at her roommate. She walks over to her bed, Lena refusing to make eye contact as tears begin to silently fall down her face. “What’s wrong, what happened? Did Kara do something to upset you, oh I’ll kill her if she did,” Jess says frantically.

Lena reaches her hand out to calm Jess whose startled at the touch.

“That’s not it Jess,” Lena’s voice is hoarse and she swallows thickly, “I-I think I might be…”

Lena lets out a soft sob and Jess waits patiently for Lena to tell her what was wrong.

“I-I think I might be gay,” Lena whispers as tears begin pouring down her face.

Jess’s eyes widen, “You mean you just figured it out? Like right now?” Suddenly Lena’s behavior makes a lot more sense these past few days, she was obviously attracted to Kara but was too repressed to realize it. Jess quickly scoops Lena up, pulling her into a tight hug as Lena’s sobs intensify.

“It’s okay Lena, you’re going to be okay,” Jess whispers to her friend as tears begin to form in her own eyes, “I promise, you’re going to be just fine.”


	7. Coming Undone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara likes Lena, Lena likes Kara. How long will it take for them to act on it?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I hope you all had a good holiday!

Kara is positively buzzing with energy on Sunday morning. Although she was disappointed to wake up and find Lena already gone, just the memory of the night before was enough to make her squeal with excitement. She sends Lena a quick text to wish her a good morning and to invite her out for lunch. She goes to change into workout clothes and manages to steal a piece of bacon off Sam’s plate on her way out.

She hits the pavement hard and does a brisk 5k run on her favorite hilly trail before running back into town. She stops in at Noonans to order a few breakfast sandwiches. Food in hand, her feet carry her to the back of Alex’s bar, she climbs the steps up to her sister's apartment two at a time before banging on the door insistently.

The door cracks to reveal Maggie blearily staring at her on the other side, she shuts it and unbolts the lock just in time for Kara to barge in.

“Alex, there's a ray of sunshine here to see you,” Maggie yells before collapsing on the couch, dramatically throwing her arm over her face.

“Be right out!” Alex says from the next room, Kara can hear the shower shut off.

“Gosh isn’t it just the most beautiful morning Maggie? The sun is shining, the leaves are changing-“

Maggie cuts her off, “And I just got home from a drug bust that took all night and we didn’t even get our man, so feel free to take it down a notch or three.”

“Woah, a drug bust? In New Midvale? I mean sure, the campus reeks of pot more often than not but don’t you guys have more important things to worry about?” Kara says sitting down, she starts pulling food out and offering Maggie the vegan option.

“Usually I’d agree with you but this isn’t some hippie slinging dime bags of Kush, we’ve gotten multiple tips of some much harder stuff making its way onto campus, I’m talking opioids maybe even GHB. But so far nothing has panned out. My sergeant has us all working overtime to get to the bottom of it,” Maggie accepts the sandwich, digging in like she hadn’t eaten in days.

“That’s rather worrying, I’ll keep an ear out,” Kara says with a frown, considering the damage the presence of these drugs could do. She silently digs into her own food for a few minutes and it isn’t until Alex barges into the living room that Kara remembers the reason she had been so eager to get over here.

“Ugh, you are the best,” Alex says as she flops down on the floor next to the coffee table, unwrapping a sandwich and moaning as she takes a massive bite.

Kara smiles at her sister as she finishes her own food, she walks over to the fridge she pours herself a full glass of orange juice and downs it before pouring another.

“Save some for the rest of us why dont’cha?” Alex says indignantly through a mouthful of food.

“Pshh we both know you only drink black coffee anyways,” Maggie says.

“And whose side are you on jerk?” Alex says playfully.

Kara smiles at them before sitting back down the couch, “So I had an absolutely amazing night.”

Alex looks at her sister for a moment smirking, “You never actually told me this girl’s name..”

“Her name is Lena and she’s not like anyone else I’ve ever met,” Kara says dreamily, leaning back into the lumpy couch.

“So what happened with Lena last night,” Maggie says with a suggestive wink, nudging Kara’s side while Alex rolls her eyes.

Kara chuckles, “Nothing like that! She came over for movie night, it was just so fun and easy. We didn’t get to talk as much as I wanted but she ended up falling asleep on me at some point and she looked so beautiful. She even snored a little,” Kara says, eyes glazed over at the memory of Lena curled into her side.

Maggie and Alex share a look before Maggie says, “Damn, lil Danvers you have got it bad.”

Kara looks over at Maggie with a grin, “Yeah, maybe I do.”

————————————————————————

It had been two days since Kara heard from Lena. After not hearing back from her on Sunday about lunch Kara had asked Leslie if Jess texted her at all or if she knew whether Lena was okay. Leslie found out that Jess and Lena were spending the day together so Kara tried not to let Lena ignoring her worry her too much. But then Lena never showed up for class which just didn’t seem like her.

After Physics she texted Lena asking if she was okay and that she missed her in class. Kara throws all of her focus into her studies that day, but every notification on her phone sends a jolt through her, although none are from Lena. Kara begins to get desperate and texts her once more, asking if Lena needed a copy of the notes from physics. Though she knew full well that Lena already had a firm grasp on all the material that Intro to Physics could offer.

Kara is uncharacteristically distracted all through practice that afternoon, for once just going through the motions, letting muscle memory take over instead of actively participating. After missing a wide-open shot she has to brush off Vasquez’s questions about her focus, insisting she was just worried about an upcoming project.

Kara is uncharacteristically silent as she drives her housemates home after practice. She pointedly ignores the looks that Leslie keeps sending her while Lucy and Sam chatter away in the backseat. When they get home she quickly claims the bathroom, wanting to be the first one to shower and wash the smell of the day off of her. She’d had a terrible practice, her mind wandering from the field more often than not. Kara lets her head fall back as the steaming hot water cascades down her skin, she lets it sting for a long moment before scrubbing herself clean. She wishes she could curl up on the floor of the shower but she’s already used up too much of the hot water and whoever gets in last was going to be pissed. She turns the water off, wrapping herself in a towel.

In her room she puts on her comfiest sweatpants and tears apart her closet looking for her favorite hoodie before realizing she didn’t have it, Lena did. Kara sighs, pulling on a shirt before crashing down into her bed with her wet hair splayed around her. She grabs her phone and half-heartedly checks for a text. Finding none she lays on her back letting the thoughts she’d been avoiding overtake her. What if Alex was right all along and Kara was just too much and Lena didn’t want to be bothered by her anymore. What if Lena was never interested in her like that and she was just being polite while Kara had taken advantage of her shyness by giving her wine and wrapping her arm around her. Had she made Lena uncomfortable with her advances? She’d been consciously trying to take things slow, testing the waters, but maybe she was still too much. Even if Lena didn’t like her like that Kara desperately wanted to at least be friends. Being around Lena was positively intoxicating and Kara couldn’t bear the thought of Lena avoiding her.

Kara’s thought spiral is interrupted when Lucy knocks on her door, opening it without waiting for an answer, “Hey Kara, can I borrow a shirt for this weekend, I have a tinder date but I don’t have anything to wear,” Lucy stops short when she sees Kara’s face, “Hey, what’s wrong?” Lucy says with concern.

Kara just shrugs and buries her face in her pillow.

Lucy climbs onto Kara’s bed, pulling her up into a hug as Kara tearfully explains how Lena has been ignoring her and all the thoughts that have been plaguing her. Lucy just listens, stroking her friends back comfortingly. She lets Kara vent everything she needs to until she falls silent.

“Hey, why don’t we just veg out to a show or something for the rest of the night?” Lucy says, hoping to take Kara’s mind off Lena for just a little while.

Kara reluctantly agrees and Lucy pulls up Netflix on Kara’s computer and plays season one of Friends, perfect for some mind-numbing entertainment. It isn’t long before Kara seems almost back to her old self, talking shit about Ross while Lucy laughs at her commentary. They watch a few episodes but it’s still early when they both drift off to sleep.

—————————————————————

Lena feels like a lead weight has been lifted off her shoulders. Maybe not the whole weight but at least a good portion of it. She had spent most of Sunday morning crying into Jess’s arms. Her roommate was supremely patient with her.

Once Lena had calmed down a bit Jess had pulled back, looking into Lena’s bloodshot eyes, “I’m gay too Lena.. Or bi? I’m not really sure yet but… I’ve actually been hooking up with Leslie ever since that first night we went to the field hockey house,” she admits rather shyly.

“Really? So you don’t think I’m weird for liking girls?” Lena said hoarsely, looking up at her roommate.

“Of course not, there's nothing wrong with liking girls,” Jess says furrowing her brow, she could only wonder at what could have made Lena think that someone would react so negatively to her coming out.

“There’s nothing wrong with who you are,” Jess says forcefully.

“I know we haven’t known each other for very long but.. it means a lot, having you to talk to about this,” Lena says softly.

“Of course, I’m always here for you,” Jess says, smiling.

They were sitting on Lena’s bed, leaned up against the wall.

“You didn’t really sound surprised. When I told you?” Lena says.

Jess chuckles, “ Well, for one thing, you have a Tegan and Sara poster hanging over your bed.”

Lena furrows her brow, “Their music is lovely, I don’t see how that insinuates anything.”

“Of course not.. I mean it wasn’t until I saw you talking to Kara at that field hockey party that my suspicions were confirmed. Just the way you looked at her, it was like she hung the stars in the sky. That is until you basically ran out, I was about to chase you but then I saw Kara go after you. Leslie was trying to reassure me that Kara would watch out for you when she actually texted Leslie to tell her to watch out for me,” Jess blushes a little, “At first I thought she was just being a good wingman for Kara but we talked all night, she’s a little crazy but it was so refreshing to talk to someone without any judgement or pretense, you know?”

Lena’s face softens, “Yeah, I guess I do know. Kara is so sweet I had a hard time believing she was genuine, but the more I know about her the more I see she’s just wearing her heart on her sleeve. I’m not really used to it.. people actually caring about what I have to say. Talking to her is exhilarating but it’s hard to keep up with her I guess?” Lena takes a deep breath.

“But you really like her don’t you?” Jess asks quietly.

“I don’t know… I’ve never felt like this before. I don’t think I can face her right now,” Lena’s breathing picks up, “I mean, honestly what if this is just a fluke? Just because she makes me feel a certain way doesn’t necessarily mean I-I’m gay? Right? I’m still getting used to this new experience in a brand new place..” Lena trails off as she remembers the conversation she had with her mother just this morning. She feels a tear fall down her cheek as she tries to explain away her feelings.

Jess considers her for a moment, “I think whatever feels right to you is what you should do. It may feel like a lot right now because it’s still so new, but there's no need to worry or to rush anything.” Jess reaches over to wipe a tear from Lena’s face, “You know what we need? A pizza. I’m ordering us a pizza and then we’re finding something good to watch for the rest of the day.”

Lena weakly attempts to protest but Jess stubbornly cuts her off, demanding to know her preferred pizza topping.

“Mushrooms, if you insist,” Lena says wearily.

For the first time since they’ve met Jess looks at her like she’s crazy, “Mushrooms? Seriously Luthor? Fine, but my half is gonna be pepperoni.”

——————————————————

Lena feels like a coward when she skips class on Monday. She just didn’t feel like she could face Kara yet, especially in a class where Lena had nothing to do but watch the other girl out of the corner of her eye. But when Kara texts her for the second time that day asking if Lena needed the notes she begins to feel guilty. Kara knew damn well Lena didn’t need notes. So there was another reason she was texting her, Lena didn’t want to get her hopes up but after talking things through with Jess everything began to seem more obvious.

Lena is painfully aware of how awkward she is via text, so much so that she eventually decides that seeing Kara in person would be a much better idea. She spends the walk there giving herself a pep talk and reminding herself how kind Kara is. She didn’t know exactly what she was going to say yet and she wouldn’t admit it but there was a quiet excitement building in her chest the closer she got.

It was a little after 8 pm when Lena finally knocks on the door of Kara’s house. After a moment the door cracks and Sam peers out, “Oh, I remember you. You’re here for Kara, I guess?”

“Yes, I was hoping to speak to her,” Lena says.

Sam throws the door open allowing Lena entrance, she points to Lena’s left down a hallway, “Second door on the right,” she says before disappearing into the opposite direction.

Lena takes a steadying breath and walks down the hallway, she smiles in anticipation as her hand goes up to knock on Kara’s door. She stops, realizing it was already cracked. She didn’t mean to pry but her first glance had her frozen in her tracks.

The door was open just enough for Lena to see Kara in her bed, head laying on Lucy’s shoulder as they both slept peacefully while their faces flickered in the light of the computer on Lucy’s lap. They both looked so comfortable and peaceful, it brought Lena crashing back down to earth. Her stomach dropped as a sick feeling of dread and humiliation overtook her. She let her gaze fall as she quickly rushed down the hallway. She shouldered past a figure in a towel as she rushed for the front door, she needed to get as far away as possible from this house.

————————————————

Yet again Leslie was the last one in the shower for the night and finished in a stream of cold water that did nothing to improve her mood. The last few days had been odd, to say the least. Kara was unusually distracted but refused to talk about it. Jess was answering her texts with one or two words even though things had been going so well just two days ago. Not to mention her normal Adderall supplier had been radio silent for days. It was shaping up to be a rough semester.

So when she saw Lena rushing down the hallway she just took it as another sign that shit was not about to get easier. The front door slammed behind Lena as she made her way to Kara’s room to see just what the hell went wrong.

As soon as she pushed the door open she knew why Lena had left in such a hurry. To anyone who didn’t know better this could look very bad.

Leslie sighed deeply and went to her room to get dressed. She had been brainstorming some damage control for Kara for a while before she turned her attention back to her Radio and Television class voiceover project. But she immediately pulled her headphones off and cut her recording short when she felt her phone vibrate. Seeing Jess’s name she picked up.

“Hey Leslie, we need to talk about Kara..”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the timeline isn't as self explanatory as i thought it was just let me know and I'll try to fix it. Other than that lemme know if you liked it! Come yell at me!!


	8. Pity's Not A Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena does her best to avoid seeing Kara but it can only last so long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone who's still reading thank you so much. Your comments really keep me going! Honestly, I had no plan when this began but I'm having fun seeing where the story takes me. Enjoy!

“What the hell happened over there?!” Jess whisper screams into the phone.

“Did you talk to Lena?” Leslie asks tentatively.

“Not since before she left, but she stormed in here like 20 minutes ago with mascara running down her face. She refused to talk to me and sobbed into her pillow until she fell asleep. I swear I don’t care how jacked Danvers is, I’ll kick her ass for whatever she did.” Jess was struggling to keep her voice down so as not wake her roommate.

“Shit, this is bad,” Leslie sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose, “Can you just listen to me for a minute and try to keep an open mind?”

“…I guess I can try,” Jess says exasperatedly.

“Okay so I was in the shower when this all went down but here’s what I gather happened. Lena shows up to talk to Kara and Sam lets her in without telling Kara because of fucking course she does. Anyway, Lena goes to Kara’s room and sees her, and this is where you need to keep an open mind, Lena sees Kara and Lucy asleep in Kara’s bed. She assumes the worst and gets the fuck up outta here as fast as she could. Now here’s the thing, Kara and Lucy are friends, they’re just really affectionate. That’s how we all are with each other but I can see how it might look, especially to someone as repressed as I assume Elvira is.”

“Don’t you dare talk about her like that, I will hang up on you so fast Willis,“ Jess hisses into the phone.

“Shit, I was kidding I’m sorry!” Leslie sighs, “I just think Lena got the total wrong idea and Kara doesn’t even know yet..”

“Okaay, so say I believe you and this is just a misunderstanding, I’m still not sure Lena will take this well. She doesn’t exactly trust people easily and she was already kinda worried that Kara wasn’t being genuine, you know?” Jess chews her bottom lip for a second, thinking, “And I’m only telling you this because I trust you for some stupid reason but Lena only figured out she likes girls like two days ago..”

Leslie is silent for a moment, absorbing that information, “Well this just got ten times more dramatic. So Lena is a total baby gay and her heart is probably broken right now.”

“Les we need to fix this somehow. But you can’t tell Kara what I told you! That’s Lena’s business and I only told you so we could figure this out okay?” Jess says.

“Of course, scouts honor. I’ll have enough fun telling her about Lena seeing her cuddle sesh, ughh nothing is ever easy with that useless lesbian… So does this mean you’re going to start answering my texts again?” Leslie says, trying to put a positive spin on the situation.

Leslie can almost hear the smile in her voice when she responds, “Yeah, I guess I can spare some time to text you back.”

“Maybe spare some time to get lunch with me too?”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow Leslie.”

—————————————————————

Kara is pounding on Leslie’s door for a full minute before she opens it, dragging her goalie bag behind her, “Whoever invented 5 am practices should be shot execution style..” She says blearily.

“Get a new line Willis, it’s been three seasons of 5 am practices,” Kara says playfully punching her friends arm and they make they way out the door to Kara’s car where Lucy and Sam are already waiting. Suddenly a firm hand grabs Kara’s arm and spins her around. 

“Hold up blondie! I almost forgot I’m mad at you!”

Kara smirks, “Well, by all means, be mad at me on our way to practice or we’ll be late and have to do wind sprints!”

“Fair point, I’ll air my grievances later..”

Two and a half hours later Kara has her head in her hands, breakfast sandwich forgotten on their kitchen table as Leslie fills her in.

“Oh my god. Why didn’t you wake me?! I could’ve... I don’t know, went after her?” Kara says gesturing helplessly.

“Trust me, no good would have come from you chasing her when she was all worked up and you still smelling like Lucy’s perfume.”

Kara thinks for a moment, “But she really came to talk to me? That’s kind of promising, I just need to explain myself and then who knows?” She says hopefully.

Leslie gives her a half-hearted smile, “Yeah, you should really try and talk to her.”

——————————————————

Lena hadn’t answered a single text and Kara was anxiously sitting at their lab bench, watching the clock tick down the moments until class started. It was only the second time Kara had arrived before Lena and it made her nervous. Finally, with moments to spare the door opened and Lena breezed into the classroom, head down as she made her way to the back of the class to sit next to Kara. She didn’t spare the other girl a glance and right as Kara opened her mouth to say something Professor Grant began the class. Kara reluctantly opened her notebook turning away from the curtain of dark hair that fell between the two of them. She did her best to concentrate but every few minutes she caught herself glancing at Lena who was studiously ignoring her.

Kara was caught off guard when Professor Grant finally dismissed them, but Lena already had her bag on her shoulder as she got up to walk briskly towards the door.

“Hey, wait up,” Kara said, ignoring the looks Winn and James were giving her as she frantically piled all her stuff into her backpack, struggling to zip it shut as she elbowed her way to the front of the room. She barely glimpsed Lena walking out of the building as Kara tried to wade through the crowd of people in the hallway. By the time she made it outside there was no sign of Lena. 

Kara huffed, her shoulders slumping in defeat as she realized she had lost sight of her completely. 

—————————————————

Lena was good at hiding. Something she had perfected in the long corridors of the sprawling Luthor mansion, slipping in and out of rooms like a ghost she avoided the entire waitstaff with ease. Lionel was the easiest to avoid, his booming voice carried out in front him announcing his presence even through a locked door. As for Lillian, the clacking of heels always preceded the presence of her adoptive mother. Lena learned to avoid that sound like the plague. Lex was the only person who had ever succeeded in sneaking up on her and more often than not Lena let him think he had succeeded. He was the only person in the household to show Lena any kindness or patience. For a while, at least.

But when she truly wanted to be alone she’d slip away into the garden with nothing but a sketchbook and would only return when her stomach growled so loudly it broke her concentration. After Lionel died it became even easier to hide since Lillian rarely bothered looking anymore. She saw Lex less every day, he would return home from school and shut himself in his workshop for hours, sometimes sleeping there. 

Lena snaps back to the present, pushing the memories of her brother away, she focuses on the problem at hand. She knew Kara was trying to follow her, to talk with her. Lena would have been fine avoiding Kara for the rest of the semester except they still had projects to do together. But for now, she was just relieved to see Kara had given up looking around the crowd of students rushing to their next classes. She watches as James and Winn walk up behind Kara, each boy putting an arm protectively around her shoulder. The sad smile on Kara’s face as they turn to walk towards the parking lot stays with Lena as she makes her way to the dining hall. She had begun walking the long way there so as to avoid passing the field.

Yet again she begins to go over the last few weeks in her head. Kara trying so hard to talk to Lena, Kara inviting her places and even walking her home. Lena assumed these were all things friends did together, so that was it then, Kara just wanted to be friends. But Lena couldn’t reconcile that with everything else that had happened. The look on Kara’s face when Lena had kissed her cheek. Or when Kara had told her she wasn’t going to let anything bad happen to her. Kara’s arm on her shoulder, making her feel grounded and safe.

But none of that mattered. She remembers the way Lucy had spoken to her at that party and how easily she flirted with Kara. Of course Lena didn’t stand a chance.

——————————————————————

Kara’s week had only gotten worse. She was so scattered that she completely forgot about a quiz and had such a sloppy practice on Friday that Coach Moors had pulled her aside to warn her to get it together before she was benched. She felt sick at the thought but her mind was plagued by thoughts of the enigmatic dark-haired girl and how she must hate Kara to be avoiding her so thoroughly.

She woke up on Saturday, it was the first game day since she was a freshman that Kara felt so nervous that she could be sick. The usual butterflies in her stomach seemed to have been replaced with a murder of unruly crows. She attempts to choke down her usual protein shake and checks her phone, freezing as she sees the text. She does some quick calculations in her head and if she leaves now she might have time. Even if she didn’t have the time she had to do this.

She pounds the rest of her shake as she runs to her room, pulling on her shinguards and running over to Leslie’s room she’s still pulling her uniform over her head when she slams the door open, causing Leslie to fall out of her own bed, “What the shit Danvers!”

“Leslie! I’ll explain later but I need you to drive everyone to the game, I’ll meet you guys there!” Kara says throwing her keys at Leslie, before rushing out to the front door without looking back.

Kara runs with a single-minded intensity until she makes it to the campus, dodging in between cars in the parking lot she only stops when she’s skidding to a halt in the lobby of the library. She whispers an apology to the woman glaring at her from the front desk before walking quietly into the main room. It doesn’t take long to spot her in the far corner against the wall. She gathers up her courage as she walks over, sitting across from Lena.

“Hey, I was wondering if we could talk?” Kara says softly across the table. 

“If I had wanted to talk to you I would have answered one of your many, many texts,” Lena never looks up from her work.

“I know and I’m sorry to ambush you like this but there’s something you need to know.” 

“I think I know everything I need to about you Kara. Now if you would excuse me I’m busy.” Lena whispers with a dangerous edge to her voice.

“Please, just give me a few minutes and I can explain. I know you think me and Lucy are-“

Lena hisses, “Whatever is between you and Lucy is obviously none of my business.” Lena begins angrily packing up her books.

“But Lena that’s just it, there’s nothing going on between me and Lucy!” Kara whispers desperately.

Lena looks at her, her green eyes glassy with unshed tears, “Don’t lie to me Kara, I saw you sleeping with her!” 

“I didn’t sleep with her!” Kara nearly shouts, the low hum of conversation stopping abruptly as everyone looks at Kara who was furiously blushing. She lowers her voice, “I mean sure we were asleep but nothing else happened.”

Lena just regards her coldly before turning to walk out into the lobby and through the front entrance, Kara close on her heels.

“Wait, Lena just listen to me!” Kara reaches out to grab Lena’s arm. She stops abruptly and turns to face her.

“Why was she in your bed Kara? Why do you feel the need to explain any of this to me? Why can’t you just leave me alone?!” Lena says desperately.

“Lena, she was only there because I was sad and confused and she was just trying to make me feel better because she’s my friend. I needed someone to talk to and she was there. You were the one I really wanted to talk to but you weren’t answering any of my texts. And I’m sorry I’ve been bugging you so much, especially since I probably made you uncomfortable. It’s just- well, I like you Lena. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same but I don’t want you to feel like you have to hide from me. But if it’s what you really want, I’ll leave you alone.” Kara says sadly.

Lena furrows her brow, “So Lucy is only a friend?” Kara nods her head furiously, “And you... you said you like me? Like a friend, or more?” Lena says uncertainly.

“Definitely more,” Kara says with a small smile.

“Oh,” The tension drains out of Lena’s shoulders as she steps a little closer to Kara, aware of her hand still on Lena’s arm, “Actually, I- I think I like you too.”

Kara feels as though the breath is knocked out of her chest as she looks down into Lena’s soft green eyes. The moment hangs in the air and Kara leans down slowly until their foreheads were nearly touching with the ghost of Lena’s breath on her lips. Kara closes the distance, lips gently crashing together. It’s soft and slow and it only lasts a moment but it’s better than Kara had imagined. Lena gently cups Kara’s face before pulling back, looking up at her with shining eyes.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do that,” Kara says a little dreamily.

Lena smiles and Kara’s chest feels like it’s about to burst open, “Will you go on a date with me?” Kara whispers with a crooked grin.

“I would love to.”

“Great, maybe tomorrow? Or even tonight after the game?” Kara pauses, eyes widening, “Oh my god. The game. I’m gonna be late,” she looks at Lena desperately.

“Go on Kara, we’ll talk later,” Lena says before placing one more kiss on her lips.

“Later,” she says, grinning before turning on her heel and sprinting across the quad as fast as she can.

—————————————————————

Lena stopped at her room to grab Kara’s hoodie so the game had already started by the time she got there. She spots Jess in the bleachers and makes her way up to sit next to her.

“I didn’t think I’d be seeing you here,” Jess says happily, pulling Lena into a reluctant hug.

“Honestly neither did I,” Lena says, eyes trained on the field, “I talked to Kara today..”

Jess smiles, “So I’m guessing it went well?”

“You could say that. Though I am wondering how she knew exactly where to find me this morning,” Lena says with a raised eyebrow.

“Some people are just lucky I guess,” Jess says with a mischievous smile, “Now are you going to tell me what happened or will I have to pry it out of you?”

Lena whispers something, lost in the sounds of the crowd in the stadium.

“Beg pardon?” Jess says impatiently.

“She kissed me,” Lena says looking down at her hands fidgeting in her lap.

Jess squeals with excitement pulling Lena into another hug that her friend returns this time.

Lena pulls back after a moment and looks back out at the field where Kara was weaving through the other team.

“Jess, it’s just I’ve never dated anyone before, what if I’m too awkward? Or I’m bad at.. things?” Lena says shyly.

“Just take things slow. As long as you two are honest with each other you’ll be fine. Plus since she’s already spoken to you she definitely knows you’re awkward,” Jess says, playfully nudging Lena’s arm.

Thanks, jerk,” Lena says, nudging her back. After a few minutes of companionable silence, Lena says, “Hey do you know what’s going on? I can’t follow this game at all.”

“Oh thank god it’s not just me! There are so many weird rules Leslie already tried to explain to me but I’m lost,” Jess throws her hands up in exasperation, “Basically I cheer when we score or when Leslie makes a save.”

“Okay, I think I can remember that much.”

Kara scores four goals and Lena cheers every time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and constructive criticism are always welcome!


	9. Be a Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Maggie are back with their daughter Gertrude! Kara and Lena go on their first date!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait, I've had a rough few weeks but I'm hoping to get less erratic with my update schedule. Enjoy!

“Unbelievable! Ignored by my own sister when I was nice enough to come all this way just to see her play! The indignity of it all,” Alex huffs, leaning on the fence as she glared daggers at where Kara was talking to a dark-haired girl who Alex assumed was Lena.

“Okay drama queen, it’s a five-minute walk and we needed to get Gertrude out of the apartment anyway,” Maggie says while trying to keep their Saint Bernard from bolting over to see Kara, “Besides we finally get to see this mystery girl who has Kara wrapped around her finger.”

“Hmph, I was wondering why Kara was breaking out all those unnecessary moves during the game, she was trying to impress Lena. You know I taught Kara ’Supergirl’ Danvers everything she knows right? And what do I get, not even a hello!” Alex glances over at Maggie with a smirk.

“I don’t like that look in your eye, Al,” Maggie says.

“I was just thinking it would a be a terrible shame if someone were to interrupt Kara’s little moment, isn’t that right Gertrude my sweet girl?”

Before Maggie can stop her Alex unclips the leash and Gertrude takes off as fast as her immense bulk will allow, she makes a beeline straight for Kara who is so engrossed in her conversation she doesn’t see it coming. In seconds Gertrude has Kara pinned to the ground as she covers her face with huge slobbery kisses.

“Blurghh! Gertrude down! I love you too but - ughhh not the mouth..” Kara sputters as she tries to push a hundred pounds of dog off of her.

Alex leaves Maggie, who is doubled over in laughter, and makes her way over to rescue her sister, “Gertrude, heel!” The giant puppy immediately rushes over to sit at Alex’s side so she can re-attach the leash and give her a treat.

Kara sits up, attempting to wipe the excess slobber from her face, “I thought you had her trained better than that!”

“She’s extremely well trained, she was just excited to see the star of the game. So are you just going to sit there or are you going to introduce me to your.. friend?”

Kara clambers to her feet and glances over at Lena who had been suppressing her laughter during the whole exchange.

“Alex, this is Lena Luthor and Lena this is my sister Alex,” Kara says as she tries fixing her now disheveled appearance.

Alex is pleasantly surprised at the firmness of the girl’s handshake. She gestures behind her, “And the woman dying of laughter back there is my wife, Maggie.”

“Y-your wife?” Lena says, stiffening slightly.

Alex raises an eyebrow, taking note of her odd reaction, “Yes and this is our beloved daughter Gertrude.”

Lena relaxes a little and bends over to scratch her under the chin.

“Well, this was lovely but I had better go get ready, I’ll pick you up outside the dorm in an hour?” Kara asks Lena with a smile.

“Sounds good, and it was nice meeting you Alex,” Lena says with a shy smile and a wave as she turns to go.

Alex rolls her eyes at the dopey look on her sisters face as she watches the other girl walk away.

 

—————————————————

 

It was a ten-minute car ride and Kara absolutely refused to tell Lena where they were going, insisting that it be a surprise. And Lena certainly was surprised when they finally pulled into the parking lot of a post office. She held back her questions as they get out of the car.

“You’re going to love this, you brought your sketchbook right?” Kara asks, pulling a blanket out of her backseat.

Lena nods, indicating the bag slung over her shoulder.

“Great! Let's go,” Kara says before grabbing Lena by the hand and leading her away from the post office, across the street and into the woods, following a well-worn trail through the treeline.

“Are we going hiking?” Lena asks, suddenly concerned for her own well being, she wasn’t exactly surefooted.

Kara chuckles, “Don’t worry this is more of a leisurely walk than a hike, but if you’d like to go hiking sometime I know all the best paths around here.”

“Tempting but I’m not usually one for nature walks, let alone hikes,” Lena admits.

“I had guessed as much. But once you see where we’re going you might just change your mind,” Kara says with a dazzling grin.

Lena loses her train of thought as a sliver of sunshine pierces the veil of the trees above them, briefly illuminating Kara’s face so that her eyes appeared to shine even bluer than usual.

They continue down the path and Lena notices boulders of increasing size are strewn about the forest floor and in the distance she can hear the gentle roar of running water getting louder with every step they take.

“Okay, we’re almost there, just watch where I walk and try to copy me, okay?” Kara says.

Lena manages well enough, focusing on following Kara’s every move so as not to embarrass herself. That is until Kara gracefully leaps over a foot wide gap in the rock.

“You don’t honestly expect me to do that?” Lena asks incredulously.

Kara turns around and sees Lena frozen on the other side. She reaches her hand out, “Trust me, I won’t let you fall.”

The gap suddenly didn’t seem so large with Kara waiting for her on the other side, she takes a steadying breath before leaping over with much less grace than Kara had but for a moment Lena feels as though she’s floating. Kara’s arms were wrapped securely around Lena as she slowly brought her back down to earth. She loosened her grip but Lena didn’t pull back from the embrace, she noticed little flecks of gold in those mesmerizing blue eyes, she leaned up slightly to brush a soft kiss to Kara’s lips.

Kara is dazed and lets her arms fall as Lena pulls back and smiles shyly, pulling Kara’s hoodie around herself she regards the other girl curiously.

“So are we there yet, or must I leap over more rocks?” Lena asks playfully.

She snaps back to reality and her eyes widen with excitement, “Yes actually, we’re here.” Kara walks up to Lena and gently takes her arm to turn her around to see their destination.

Lena had been so focused on Kara and attempting to keep her feet that she had missed the changes of the environment around her. They had emerged from the trees onto a rocky outcropping of a cliff. To their left was a river flowing with increasing speed as it neared the edge before tumbling down into the valley below. The sunlight reflected off the spray which shot up into the air creating patterns of rainbows at the bottom. The river below wound into the distance, cutting through rock and soil until it disappeared, framed by the trees' changing foliage.

Lena finds herself speechless, taking in the raw beauty surrounding her. Kara hangs back, carefully studying the other girls face as she takes in the scenery for the first time. 

“Welcome to the falls Lena, do you like it?”

“Do I like it? It’s absolutely amazing Kara, I’ve never seen a waterfall before. It’s incredible,” Lena says softly.

“I knew you’d appreciate it,” Kara says, grabbing Lena’s hand and leading her closer to the edge, putting the blanket down on a flat spot so they can both sit with their legs swinging over the edge.

“I remember the first time I saw you, you were sketching the view over the field that morning. The sun was only just coming up and the light was hitting the top of the bleachers perfectly, I swear I’d never seen anything more beautiful,” Kara says looking at Lena.

“You mean the view, right?”

“The view is good but I was talking about you,” Kara admits as she slides her hand over the blanket until she was brushing Lena’s fingers.

Lena blushes but has no idea what to say to that so she tries diverting the conversation, “Thank you for bringing me here, how did you find this place?”

“Oh, well I’ve been coming here for years. I’m actually something of a townie, I grew up in New Midvale after the Danvers adopted me. Alex and I made it our mission to explore everywhere we could and the falls immediately became my favorite spot.”

“You were adopted?” Lena asks with wide eyes.

“Yeah, when I was about 13,” Kara says looking down at the water below with sad eyes.

“I was adopted too. When I was four, it’s so weird but I can’t remember anything about my birth family, every once in awhile a smell will jog my memory but it’s never anything specific.” Lena says thoughtfully.

“Don’t take this the wrong way but you’re lucky. I can remember everything about them like it happened yesterday,” Kara’s brow furrows as the memories come cascading back.

Lena immediately grabs Kara’s hand and squeezes it, recognizing the pain in her voice. She wants to ask more but is reluctant to push Kara further on the topic.

They sit in silence for a moment just taking in the scenery before them until a bird call cuts through the sound of rushing water. 

“So I’m guessing you made me bring my sketchbook because you knew I wouldn’t be able to resist this landscape?” Lena says suddenly.

Kara smiles, “Yeah, I mean we have at least an hour of good sun left. I thought you might like it and if you don’t finish we can always come back before the leaves change more of course.”

Lena smiles and leans over to rest her head on Kara’s shoulder, “Thank you Kara, I am excited to draw this view but for a moment I just want to enjoy it with you.”

 

—————————————————

 

“I’m just saying in a sane world Jessica Jones would be a lesbian! All those leather jackets, I mean come on!” Alex exclaims, flopping down dramatically on the couch as she pauses Netflix.

“That’s valid babe, I mean just look at your wardrobe,” Maggie says as she salts their popcorn in the kitchen.

“True, no straight girl needs more than one leather jacket. Speaking of straight girls what did you think of Kara’s new girl today?” Alex says.

“Who Lena? Well, considering I never actually spoke to her she seemed alright. Why, did you get straight vibes?” Maggie says as she settles back on the couch next to Alex.

“No, not necessarily. It was just weird for a second, I mentioned that you were my wife and she sort of froze. I didn’t know what to make of it.”

“Hmm, well you said she was younger than Kara. Maybe she’s still figuring things out, remember how you were when we first met? You weren’t exactly smooth Danvers,” Maggie says before shoving a fistful of popcorn into her mouth.

“Hey! That's Sawyer-Danvers to you missy! Anyway, I just want to be sure this Lena Luthor isn’t going to break my sister's heart, you know?” Alex says.

Maggie freezes, “Did you say Luthor?”

“Yeah, that’s how Kara introduced her, why?” Alex says as she reaches over to grab a handful of popcorn.

Maggie thinks for a moment, pulling out her phone for a quick google search she sighs when she sees the results and puts her phone down.

“The Luthors are a pretty prominent family back in Metropolis. Like old money types who donate to far-right political campaigns. I normally don’t pay attention to stuff like this but a few years back the eldest son took several people hostage in a church before rushing the police line brandishing a weapon. He was killed at the scene and it was later determined that he was suffering a mental break... Anyway, I thought Lena looked familiar and I was right,” Maggie hands her phone to Alex so she can see the Luthor family portrait, complete with Lena standing stiffly in the far corner.

Alex looks at the picture with dread rising in her stomach, “Well fuck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Describing landscapes is fucking hard! Let me know what you thought!


	10. Bring It On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone from Kara's past shows up and Lena makes some new friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys sorry about the long wait between updates. I basically stopped writing this for a while when life got in the way and after what they did to Leslie on the show. She was always a fave character of mine and then writing this I grew to love her even more. BUT isn’t it the point of fan fiction to say fuck the canon and do whatever you want? So that’s what Ima do.

Ask her and she would deny it but there was something about knowing Lena was in the stands watching her practice that made Kara go a little bit crazy. She dove harder after every ball, beat every defender in her way and showed Leslie no mercy in the goal. Unfortunately for her Jess had accompanied Lena and was also sitting in the bleachers so Leslie was in rare form as well. Pretty soon every drill ended up as a one on one battle between the two girls. Kara would take a shot and Leslie would make a diving save only for Kara to intercept the rebound and chip the ball towards the top of the net, her momentum propelling her forward as Leslie jumped up and attempted to save it. The result being Kara crashing into her as they both tumbled into the back of the net.

“What the actual fuck Danvers,” Leslie cried out from under the pile of limbs, “You forget how to use your legs?!”

Kara climbs off of her and Leslie rips her helmet off and gets in her face, both girls breathing heavily with wild eyes. The team goes quiet, the moment is tense as they wait to see if they need to break the two of them up.

They stare at each other for a heated moment before Kara finally cracks, a slow smile spreading on her face as she shoves Leslie who immediately rushes forward pulling Kara into a bear hug and lifting her of the ground.

“One day I swear I’ll kick that perky lil ass of yours Danvers!” Leslie yells as Kara laughs and struggles to break free.

“Jesus Christ it felt like freshman year for a second there,” Lucy says, rolling her eyes, “Remember when you two psychos actually hated each other? I always did wonder who would win that fight.”

“Me, obviously,” Leslie says as she puts Kara back down, “Always bet on the wild card sweetheart.” She says with a cheeky grin.

Kara meanwhile is laughing so hard she’s got tears in her eyes, “Honestly I can’t even argue with that, but I’d put up a helluva fight.”

A piercing whistle cuts through the air and Coach Moors yells, “If you all are done embarrassing me then you can start cooling down.”

The team shuffles into formation to jog a quick cool down lap and start stretching. Kara happens to glance over at the bench to see a tall man talking to Coach Moors.

“Oh my god, Jon!” Kara cries out as she rushes forward to embrace him. He turns around with a smile and scoops her up in his arms, “Hey kiddo, long time no see,” he says in a gravelly voice.

Kara pulls back after a long moment to look at him, “Jeez it’s been what, over a year since I saw you at Alex’s wedding? Mr. Bigshot working with professional athletes!” Kara says, playfully swatting his arm.

Jon laughs, “Yeah, well that got old after awhile. I figured it was time for a change, which is actually why I’m here.”

Kara’s eyes go wide, “You’re not saying what I think you’re saying are you? Because if I’m getting my hopes up for nothing right now I am going to be extremely angry with you!”

“Keep getting those hopes up kid, I accepted a job with the athletic department and I’m here today to sign my contract, and to surprise you of course.” Jon says with a grin. Kara squeals in delight and hugs him one more time.

Coach Moors had been looking at the two with a bemused expression as they reunited, “I assume you two know each other?”

“Oh yes Coach Moors, I’ve known Kara since she was 13 years old, “ Jon says, regarding Kara with pride in his eyes, “I knew even then that she was someone special.”

“Please, call me Megan. And by all accounts you were right, she’s the heart and soul of this team.”

“You two better stop before you make me cry in front of the team, you’ll ruin my badass reputation!” Kara says, grinning from ear to ear, “Oh! We need to celebrate! I have a study date but after you should come over to Alex’s apartment and we’ll all have dinner!”

—————————————————

Jess reaches over and grabs Lena’s hand in alarm as they watched Kara and Leslie square up to each other. Lena holds her breath as Kara’s jaw tightens and her arms flex for a long moment until a shit-eating grin spreads on her face and the two girls are laughing and play fighting like it was nothing.

Jess loosens her grip with a sigh, “…Is it just me or was that kinda hot?”

She looks over to see Lena’s face a burning crimson color, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“I think I’m beginning to see the appeal of organized sports,” Lena says, raising a perfectly manicured eyebrow.

“Atta girl, we’ll have you in a cheerleader uniform in no time,”Jess laughs as the two girls start gathering their things up since the practice appeared to be over. Lena noticed Kara running over to hug a man who she didn’t recognize. They begin talking animatedly and she sees that Kara is practically glowing with happiness by the time she finishes and jogs over to the fence where Lena is waiting. 

“Hey there physics partner,” Kara says, kissing her on the cheek, “Ready for our study date?”

Lena waves goodbye to Jess who throws her a salacious wink over Leslie’s shoulder which Lena returns with a roll of her eyes and a smile. Kara’s happiness feels contagious as they begin their trek to the library, their conversation is light and easy but Lena can’t contain her curiosity.

“So who was that man you hugged at the field? It seemed like you knew him pretty well,” Lena asked.

Kara’s face split into a lopsided grin, “Yeah, you could say that. I met Jon right after I was adopted. Remember when I told you I had a physical therapist who helped me when I was younger? Well, it was Jon. But he was so much more than just that, it’s hard to explain but we had a real connection at a time when I needed someone the most. I haven’t seen in him years but he just accepted a job at New Midvale, I can’t wait to catch up with him.”

“That’s really nice Kara, I’m glad you had someone you could count on,” Lena says, wrapping her arms around herself with a sad smile.

“Did you ever have anyone like that?” Kara asks, noticing a subtle shift in Lena’s mood.

Lena thinks for a moment, “My brother… his name was Lex. For awhile he was my best friend, my only friend really. But he’s not around anymore,” Lena says with a tightness at the corner of her eyes.

“Do you miss him?” Kara asks softly.

“Everyday… I just wish I had gotten to say goodbye to him, you know?” 

Kara feels an ache in her chest, “Yeah, I really do,” she puts her arm around Lena’s shoulders and pulls her close to press a quick kiss to the side of her head.

She leans into the embrace for a moment, knowing Kara really does know how it feels to lose family, she doesn’t feel pitied for once but understood. They walk like this for a few minutes, just enjoying each other’s closeness.

Suddenly Lena is laughing as she pokes Kara in her side, “You know you’re sweating all over me.”

Kara smiles, “Pshhh you like it! Admit it!” Kara wraps both her arms around Lena from behind who lets out a giggle as she half-heartedly struggles to break free.

Lena can’t remember the last time she’d laughed so much I her life but Kara’s presence made her feel safe to be herself. By the time they made it to the library her cheeks hurt from smiling. 

—————————————————

Lena had been studying with Kara so much recently that they’re about two weeks ahead of the curriculum and she was really proud of how easily Kara was beginning to take to the material. But this did mean that Lena had been somewhat neglecting her other classes. So after parting ways with Kara she walked back to her dorm concentrating on mentally organizing her study schedule for the rest of the week. She figured the better she optimized her time the more time she could spend with Kara without compromising her 4.0, she didn’t want to imagine what her dear mother would do if she slipped up even a little. God forbid she came and checked up on her.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice at first the two guys walking a few yards behind her. Until she heard the familiar moniker that had followed her from boarding school.

“Check out that fucking freak.” 

Lena’s blood ran cold but she kept walking, hopefully they would get bored and move on sooner rather than later.

“I don’t know dude I always wanted to get some strange, she’s not so bad.” The other voice said with a chuckle. They were speaking just loud enough for Lena to hear, making sure she knew they were talking about her. 

She felt as though they were breathing down her neck, walking a little closer with every step. She began amping herself up to turn around and confront them, it was a tactic she had used before with success. Her heavy makeup and clothing was off putting enough to most peoples delicate sensibilities that all she had to do was vamp it up a little, roll her eyes back into her head and start reciting some latin. It usually scared people off, she just hoped it would be enough.

She spins on her heel just in time to see two field hockey sticks hook around each of the boy’s ankles and pull their feet out from under them. The two go flying backwards and land on the pavement with a dull thud.

“Silly little boys, never watching where they’re going. If you’re not careful you might hurt yourselves!” The girl on the right says with venom dripping from her voice.

“And what damn shame that would be…” The other girl says with a withering glare, resting the stick on her shoulder as if daring them to get up.

Lena recognizes one of the boys as that buffoon from the party that Kara had tossed out, she thinks his name was Mike. Him and the other one were sputtering, too dazed to come up with any response before the girls stepped past them to walk up to Lena.

The girl on the right gently touches Lena’s arm to get her to start walking, “I think we’re in the same dorm, mind if we walk with you? I’m Veronica Sinclair by the way, you might remember I almost killed you once?”

Lena gathers her racing thoughts and remembers back to that time she had given Kara her notes after practice and a rogue ball had almost crushed her face. “That was you?” She asked incredulously.

“Sure was, I’ve got the hardest hit in the league,” Veronica says with a grin, resting her stick on her shoulder.

“If only she could learn to control them sometime. We call her Roulette because it’s always a toss up if they’ll be on target. You’re lucky Danvers was there, not many people would’ve taken that hit,” the other girl says with an air of disinterest.

“Oh fuck right off Siobhan!” Veronica says with a glare.

The two girls bicker for a moment while Lena gathers her thoughts, eventually she manages to interject, “Thank you by the way, you didn’t have to do that before but I was glad for the backup.” Lena says somewhat shyly, she’s still unused to having people come to her defense.

“Oh it’s no thing, us girls gotta watch out for each other, you know? Plus you’re like dating Danvers, right? You’re one of ours,” Veronica says with a nonchalant shrug.

"Besides those tiny pricks had it coming," Siobhan says with a sneer, "I've had it up to here with those talentless baseball players.”

“Seriously, maybe if they stopped getting hammered all the time they might actually win something for once,” Veronica said laughing.

“Isn’t the field hockey team famous for their parties?” Lena asks.

“Oh honey, you know we are, the difference is we have rules. No drinking 24 hours before a practice or 48 hours before a game. That usually leaves us one night a week to cut loose, sometimes less,” Siobhan says.

“Which is why our parties are fucking epic and why we’re also the best team in the league,” Veronica says smugly, “We take pride in what we do.”

Lena is surprised to find herself falling into an easy banter with the them. Had they met back in boarding school she would’ve avoided them at all costs but so far they had been nothing but nice, to her at least, they took great pleasure in roasting Mike a few more times before they made it back to the dorm. The two girls were roommates and invited Lena to stop by anytime. Lena walked to her room with an odd warm feeling in her chest and found herself smiling as she opened the door.

Unfortunately the smile was quickly replaced with a look of horror as she sees Leslie on top of her roommate.

“Oh my god! A little warning next time please!” Lena yells as she covers her eyes and spins around.

“Oops, my bad Elvira. Now let’s find our shirts…” Leslie says, jumping off the bed, “It’s not her fault I’m so irresistible.”

“Sorry Lena,” Jess says sheepishly, pulling her shirt on, “You can turn around now.”

Lena gives them an exasperated glare. This is the price of having friends she supposes.

“Just put a sock on the door next time.”


	11. Into You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara's past is catching up with her and Lena makes a move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long wait between chapters! Sometimes life just gets in the way, I haven't given up on this fic!

“So it seems like you and Leslie are getting pretty close, huh?” Lena says, grabbing a third makeup wipe to smear the black off her eyes.

Jess smirks a little as she thumbs through her textbook, “You could say that… I don’t really know if it’s going anywhere though.”

“What do you mean?” Lena asks, looking up at her roommate.

“Well, whenever I bring up like dating or anything she just makes a joke out of it. Which was fine at first when it felt like just a hookup but I don’t know, we’ve been hanging out almost every day now and we text all the time. It’s just that if this isn’t going anywhere then what the hell am I doing?” Jess says with a shrug.

“It sounds like you really like her, you deserve to know if it doesn’t mean the same thing to her,” Lena says while wiping her lipstick off.

“I really do like her, maybe I’ll talk to her after the game this weekend… You and Kara have any big plans?” Jess asks.

“Actually Kara’s sister’s bar is having a karaoke night. Apparently she puts the Kara in Karaoke… “ Lena says raising an eyebrow in amusement. 

“No fucking way, are you gonna sing?” Jess says incredulously.

“There’s no way I’m doing karaoke, I’ll stick with being supportive from the sidelines as per usual. I’m excited though, it should be a fun night…” Lena pauses for a second, sucking in a slow breath, “It’s just that its been a few weeks since we’ve got together and I don’t really know how to bring it up… I guess I kinda wish Kara would take things a little further.”

Jess regards Lena with a small smile for a moment, “You mean, like, physically speaking?”

Lena blushes, “Yeah, it’s just that this is all so new to me? And I love how patient she is but sometimes I just want.. More?”

Jess rests her hand on her chin as she regards Lena thoughtfully, “Danvers may dress like a fuckboi with all those snapbacks but she’s a gentlewoman at heart. I get the feeling she’s not going to try anything unless you initiate it or straight-up ask for something. Maybe you just need to be a little bolder… With any luck, it’ll be you and Kara who need to put a sock on the door pretty soon.”

“Trust and believe I won’t forget the sock, unlike some roommates I can think of,” Lena says with a teasing smirk.

“I already said I was sorry!” 

 

———————————————————

 

Kara and Alex lounged on the couch while Maggie finished cleaning up in the kitchen. Jon had left not too long ago after their reunion dinner, leaving the sisters reminiscing and giggling in between sips of wine. It had been a wonderful night, Jon regaled them with tales of the pro athletes he had treated while Alex and Maggie did their best to embarrass Kara with stories of her college shenanigans.

Eventually, all the plates were cleared and Alex left Kara on the couch with a pillow and blanket before retiring to her room with Maggie.

Kara lay on the lumpy couch for a few minutes before the day finally caught up with her and she slowly drifted off to sleep.

 

Kara kicked her legs back and forth in the backseat of the car, the steady rhythm coming from the radio had her mesmerized. She focused on the music, the sound of her parent's quiet bickering was overshadowed by the pleasant noise. She nodded her head as the music lulled her, the last thing she saw was her mother, heart-shaped face framed by light brown curls, she rolled her eyes and smiled at whatever Kara’s father had been saying. She saw her fathers blonde hair, combed carefully to the side and his blue eyes flashing back to check on her in the rearview mirror. She closed her eyes, enjoying the last moment before her world exploded into screeching tires. The car flipped twice and everything went black for a long time.

 

Kara woke up in Alex’s arms with tears running down her face.

“Shhh you’re okay, I’ve got you Kara,” Alex whispered placing a hand on Kara’s chest, “Breath into my hand, you’re gonna be fine."

Kara gasped for breath as Alex held her for a few minutes before she could sit up on her own.

“Shit Alex, I-I’m sorry I woke you, “ Kara said, finally catching her breath as she pulled away to wrap her arms around herself.

“Hey you have nothing to be sorry for, you know that,” Alex paused, and regarded Kara carefully, “That was the first one in awhile right?”

Kara was silent for a minute, “Yeah, it’s been months. I’m really fine. I don’t know what could’ve triggered it.”

Alex frowned, “Well… it has been awhile since you’ve seen Jon. You can’t tell me seeing him doesn’t also bring some old wounds up, and before you say it I already know what a positive force he was for you but that also means he’s intrinsically linked to the accident and everything that happened after.”

Kara opens her mouth to argue but stops and wipes a tear from her cheek, “When you put it that way I guess I could see how it might make sense… I just thought I was finally past all this you know?”

“It’s okay if you’re not Kara, you’ve come such a long way since I met you. I know I don’t say it enough but I’m proud of you and I’m so lucky to have you as a sister.” Alex says before pulling Kara into a crushing hug.

“I’m lucky to have you too,” Kara whispers.

The two embrace for a long moment before Alex pulls away, “Wanna come crash in my bed? I know how much you hate this couch.”

“Nah, it’s fine I have a feeling I’ll be tossing and turning no matter where I am, you go back to Maggie,” Kara says smiling weakly as Alex wished her goodnight and went back into her room.

Kara laid down, but as she stared at the ceiling she realized there was no way she was falling back asleep tonight. The stress of that particular nightmare always left her feeling restless. She pulls her phone out and decides to text Lena.

Kara: Hey lab partner, you up?

She knew it was a long shot considering it was almost 2 am as she resigns herself to scrolling her twitter feed for the rest of the night when her phone buzzes, she grins as she reads Lena’s text.

Lena: Hello Kara, I’ve been working on a project all night so yes, I am awake. Though I’m surprised you’re still up?

Kara: Ooo I can’t wait to hear all about it! I couldn’t sleep and I miss youuu

Lena: Kara you saw me a few hours ago, how can you miss me already?

Kara: Maybe because I can’t get enough of you ;)

Kara: Do you wanna do something fun?

 

——————————————————

 

Kara pulls up at the back entrance of the dorm just as Lena is walking out, her arms wrapped around herself as her small frame drowned in Kara’s hoodie. She climbs into the car with a shy smile.

“Hey you,” Kara said, looking over at Lena for a moment before leaning over to place a soft kiss on her lips, lingering for a moment before pulling back. It was one of the rare times that Lena wasn’t wearing any makeup and it made Kara’s heart soar. Her eyes were a soft green and her lips pale pink. She looked beautiful no matter what but there was something so intimate about seeing her barefaced that Kara just couldn’t get over.

“Hi, so where exactly are you taking me?” Lena says, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

Kara grins as she turns her car around, “You’ll see.”

They pull up at the back entrance of the New Midvale Athletic Center just minutes later and Kara cuts the engine. They climb out of the car and Kara walks up to the side door, pulling out her key card she unlocks the door and grabs Lena’s hand to drag her inside.

“It seems like we're not supposed to be here?” Lena says with confusion as Kara uses her phone light to illuminate the hallway for them.

“If we’re not supposed to be here then why do I have a key?” Kara says, brandishing her card key with unwavering confidence.

Lena laughs, “I don’t know, because you work here?”

“Exactly, so everything is fine,” Kara says as she navigates them up a flight of stairs that opens up into the Olympic sized pool where she spends two days a week lifeguarding, “Something about the smell of chlorine always chills me out.”

Lena regards her for a moment as Kara closes her eyes and inhales deeply, the minimal light reflects off the surface of the water and shimmered on Kara’s face. The light played over her features, softening them. The expansive room felt somehow ethereal and put Lena at ease. She reached over to grab Kara’s hand and pull her further into the room.

“I love it, it’s so peaceful,” Lena says as they reach the edge of the pool, she turns around to face Kara. Their eyes meet and Lena can hear Jess in the back of her mind telling her to be bold. Lena trusted Kara implicitly and couldn’t imagine this moment with anyone but her. She swallows and takes a step back from Kara who looks confused for a moment before Lena pulls the hoodie up over her head, revealing only a black bra. Lena bites her lip at the sight of Kara staring with her mouth agape. She takes it as a good sign and slowly unbuttons her jeans, shimmying them to the ground before stepping out of them completely. 

Lena takes some satisfaction from the glazed look in Kara’s eyes as she takes in Lena’s form, but it wasn’t nearly enough. 

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Lena says before turning on her heel to execute a perfect dive over the edge of the pool. As she breaks the surface of the crystal water calmness overtakes her as she cuts through the water with powerful strokes until she breaks the surface again. She whips her hair out of her face to see Kara gaping at her from the edge of the pool.

It takes her only a moment before she’s pulling off her shirt and kicking her joggers off her legs, Lena meanwhile admires the sight of Kara in nothing but a sports bra and boyshorts. Kara’s muscles ripple as she takes a running start before cannonballing into the pool. Lena can’t help but laugh at Kara’s antics as she wipes the water from her eyes. Kara surfaces only moments later, grinning. 

“You splashed me!” Lena says with faux indignance as Kara swims over, her blue eyes gleaming in the light reflecting off the water.

“I figured you could handle yourself, I already know what a good swimmer you are,” Kara says in a low voice.

Lena swallows, her throat suddenly dry as Kara swims closer. Her eyes rest on perfect pink lips for only a moment before Lena breaks the tension and they crash together with a passion that startles Kara. Hands tangle in wet hair as they slowly devour each other. Lena gasps as Kara’s tongue swipes into her mouth and Kara can’t hold back a low moan as Lena’s tongue softly pushes back. They take a long moment, exploring each other's mouths and letting their hands roam. 

It isn’t long before the two are out of breath, treading water while making out is no easy task and Kara pulls back just before the water overtakes them. They face each other with hungry eyes for a long moment.

“Wow,” Kara says breathlessly, “I definitely wasn’t expecting that.”

“Well I’m more than happy to keep you on your toes,” Lena says with a confidence she didn’t know she possessed.

“How did I get so lucky to meet you?” Kara says incredulously, swimming closer to place a soft kiss on Lena’s lips.

Lena smiles as Kara pulls back, “You’re wrong, I’m the lucky one.”

The moment is heavy as they gaze into each other’s eyes.

Kara gets a gleam in her eyes and a wicked grin splattered on her face as she says, “I dunno, I’m pretty sure I’d never pass physics without a certain lab partner so I’m pretty darn lucky.”

Lena laughs and playfully splashes Kara in the face. 

Kara sputters, “Oh, I’m getting you for that!”

Lean manages outswim Kara for about a minute before she’s laughing as strong hands encircle her and Kara pulls her around giggling as she starts placing kisses all over her face. 

“You won’t get away from me that easily Lena Luthor!” Kara says as she kisses into Lena’s neck.

Lena whispers, “Oh, I’m not going anywhere.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music inspiration for this chapter was: Stranger Things X Ariana Grande // Launchpad Mashup
> 
> Look it up on youtube because it's so fucking good.
> 
> Let me know what you think in the comments!

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you thought! Doesn't matter if it's good or bad just come yell at me!


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